Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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155. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the grounds on which a waiver for non-EU fees for a course of study can be provided to an Irish resident returning after five years working in the medical area abroad. [50482/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The position is that to qualify for funding towards tuition fees, 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. These rules apply to all students from all EU/EEA/Swiss states. Students undertaking a second undergraduate qualification are not entitled to support under the scheme

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 to determine.

Due to concerns in relation to the fact that in some cases the higher Non EU fee was being charged to students who hold EU/EEA/Swiss nationality but did not meet the residency clause for free fees, my Department requested that the higher education institutions charge the more moderate EU fees to such students who 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 here.  This position took effect from the academic year, 2014/15. In this way, such students, while still not eligible for tuition fees funding under the Free Fees Initiative, could avail of the more moderate EU rate of tuition fees.

Tax relief is available on these fees and students can apply to the Student Assistance Fund for financial support if needed.

As the terms of the scheme are for general application, exceptions cannot be made in individual cases.