Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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1276. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cost to the State for funding registration fees for students in September 2013. [33517/14]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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1277. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the projected cost if the State had funded all registration fees for students in higher level institutions in September 2013. [33518/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1276 and 1277 together.

The position is that the exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees, through my Department's free fees schemes, in respect of full-time undergraduate students who meet the terms of the schemes. Student who qualify for free fees funding must pay a Student Contribution however those students who qualify under my Department's Student Grant Scheme have the Contribution paid on their behalf by the Exchequer.

There was a total of 129,200 students who qualified for free fees funding in 2013/14 and it would therefore have cost my Department a total of €323m to fund the Student Contribution for those students in 2013/14.

The Deputy will appreciate that the exact spend on Student Contribution in relation to the 2013/14 academic year under the Student Grant Scheme is not yet finalised, however, it is estimated that the spend will be some €160m.