Michael D'Arcy (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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671. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the rules and timeframe for bringing children back to school here so that they are not classified as overseas students when it comes to university; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6385/16]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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682. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to support a matter on discrimination in education (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6511/16]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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706. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to change to cost structures for third level education for Irish citizens not resident here or elsewhere in the European Union; if children born outside of Ireland to Irish parents can avail of the same rules as children from Northern Ireland with regards to accessing education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6905/16]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 671, 682 and 706 together.

In order to qualify for tuition fee funding, 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.

Where students do not qualify for free fees funding they must pay the appropriate fee - either EU or Non-EU, as determined by each higher education institution. These institutions are autonomous bodies and the level of fee payable by students who do not meet the requirements of the free fees scheme is a matter for the relevant institution.

Due to concerns that in some cases the higher non-EU fee was being charged to students who held EU/EEA/Swiss nationality but did not meet the residency clause for free fees, the Department requested higher education institutions to charge the more moderate EU fee to such students. Students must have completed at least five academic years of study (primary or post-primary level) in Ireland/EU/EEA/Switzerland and commence their first undergraduate course of study in an approved institution in the State in order to qualify for the EU rate of fee. There are no plans to further amend this provision.