John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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174. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of Irish students in third level education in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19144/16]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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181. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of Irish students who completed their third level education in the United Kingdom in each of the years 2013 to 2016 to date [19192/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 and 181 together.

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) does not collect statistical data on students from the Republic of Ireland studying in the United Kingdom. However, I understand from the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland that in the academic year 2014/15 there were 2,345 full-time and part-time Republic of Ireland domiciled enrolments in higher education institutions in Northern Ireland. Data are not available on the number of students from the Republic of Ireland studying in the United Kingdom as a whole.

Obviously, this matter will need to be monitored in light of the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum result. The Government has a contingency framework in place which maps the key issues that will be most important to Ireland in the coming weeks and months. The Government has published a summary of the key actions that will be taken to address the contingencies arising from the UK's decision to leave the EU.

My Department participated fully in and contributed to the preparation of this framework for the education sector and has identified student flows as a priority area. Negotiations on the future EU UK relationship will now be required and officials from my Department will engage fully in these discussions with the EU and the UK to protect our special relationship with Northern Ireland and the UK.