Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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246. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions he will take to address the problem of returning Irish emigrants having to pay non EU fees at third level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39465/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Under the terms of my Department's Free Fee Schemes the Exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees in respect of eligible students who are pursuing full-time undergraduate courses of study which are a minimum of two years duration in an approved higher education institution. The main conditions of the scheme are that students must be first-time undergraduates, hold inter alia EU/EEA/Swiss nationality in their own right, and have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course.

I have requested, as part of the recent announcement in relation to changes to third level fees to benefit migrant students, that the Higher Education Authority establish and report on the practices currently operated by individual institutions in charging different rates of fees so as to ensure that all prospective students have clarity about the level of tuition fees they may be required to pay. However, third level institutions are autonomous institutions and the level of fee payable by students who do not meet the requirements of the free fees schemes is a matter for the relevant institution.

Tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Further information on this tax relief is available from the Revenue Commissioners.