Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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135. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if degree courses (details supplied) are run in collaboration with private for-profit providers; if eligible students on these courses are receiving both their SUSI maintenance grants and registration fees with departmental approval; the amount of fees paid to these private for-profit providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29581/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Universities and Institutes of Technology are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997 and the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006. The management of their academic affairs, including the selection and delivery of courses are matters for individual institutions. Accordingly, I have no function in relation to any collaborative initiatives that individual institutions may have.

The decision on eligibility for new student grant applications is a matter for the centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland). Eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution as defined in the scheme.

The definition of an approved institution is set out in Section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Regulation 3 of the Student Support Regulations 2016. The full list of approved institutions is set out in Schedules 1, 2 and 3 of the Student Support Regulations 2016.

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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136. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason SUSI is providing funding to students at only certain QQI-approved private third level colleges; the supports he intends to provide to low-income students and parents financially impacted by this inequality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29582/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Under my Department's student grant scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution as defined in the scheme.

The definition of an approved institution is set out in Section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Regulation 3 of the Student Support Regulations 2016. Section 7 further defines the matters that the Minister for Education and Skills can consider when prescribing an educational institution as being an approved institution. These matters include the following:

- whether the institution receives one or more than one payment out of moneys made available by the Oireachtas and the amount of the payment;

- the policy of the institution in relation to access to education in the institution by economically or socially disadvantaged persons, by persons who have a disability and by persons from sections of society significantly under-represented in the student body;

- the courses and facilities offered or intended to be offered to students by the institution;

- whether prior to the commencement of this section, the institution was an institution which, in respect of its courses, grants were made available pursuant to a scheme administered by a local authority or a vocational education committee whereby grants were provided to students to assist them in attending those courses;

- whether the institution is established for the principal purposes of higher education, training and research and operated and managed on a basis other than for financial gain;

- the requirement for the development of skills and knowledge in sectors of the economy or employment identified as requiring such development of skills and knowledge following advice received by the Minister from such person who has an interest or expertise in educational matters or the development of skills and knowledge as the Minister considers appropriate to consult for that advice;

- resources available for the provision of student support;

- any other matters which in the opinion of the Minister are proper matters to be taken into account having regard to the objective of enabling persons to attend courses of higher or further education, the need to maintain educational standards and the contribution that the institution is making to higher education in the State.

Tax relief on tuition fees may be available for students attending courses in institutions which are not approved for the purposes of grant support. Details in relation to this relief are available from the Revenue Commissioners on www.revenue.ie.

It is open to private higher education institutions that operate on a 'for profit' basis to use their own resources to provide financial supports to students that they consider to be in financial difficulty.