Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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210. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cost per annum to the State for each year of the undergraduate medical degree. [5446/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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It is estimated that the average cost per annum to the State of a medical student is c. €11,000. This takes into account State grant and tuition fee funding paid by the State (where appropriate). It excludes the Student Contribution of €3,000 which is paid by the student, or paid on behalf of the student in cases where the student qualifies for assistance under my Department’s Student Grant Scheme.

In the case of students who qualify for entry to the Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) programme and who are liable for the cost of their tuition fees as they already hold an undergraduate qualification, the State pays a grant per student of €9,500 with the balance payable by the student.

It should be noted that my Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA designated higher education institutions. The HEA allocates this funding to the institutions using a Recurrent Grant Allocation Model and the internal disbursement of funding is then a matter for the individual institution. Higher Education Institutions are autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own day to day affairs, including the allocation of all of its income (both public and private).