Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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71. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the academic scholarships available for Palestinian citizens to study here; the courses that are covered by the scholarships; and the requirements in order to be considered for a scholarship. [18832/18]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Ireland’s funding to the Palestinian people has traditionally had a strong focus on the education sector, which is crucial to Palestine’s long-term economic viability. The provision of scholarship opportunities for Palestinian students to study in Ireland is an important dimension of our overall support.

In January this year, the Tánaiste announced an increase of €200,000 in scholarship funding for Palestinian students. Funding is being ring-fenced to create further opportunities for Palestinian students to undertake Masters level courses in our Higher Education Institutions in Ireland. This is a first step towards scaling up a scholarship programme for Palestinian students over the next five years. The programme is intended to focus on courses which will enhance labour market skills and, in particular, in the areas identified by the Palestinian Authority where there is a deficit. The programme will be accessible to groups across Palestinian society with the relevant undergraduate qualifications, enhancing opportunities for women and providing opportunities to other previously under-represented groups.

Ireland has long been a strong supporter of the development of modern and quality education for all Palestinians in conjunction with our partners, the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. This scholarship programme will be another tangible expression of that support.

Furthermore, there is an existing Irish Aid Fellowship Training Programme (FTP), which has been part of Ireland’s broad programme of support to capacity building in Partner countries for over 40 years and which aims to address capacity deficits that hinder the attainment of long-term development goals through the training and development of key individuals. Fellowships are also offered at Masters’ level and Palestinian students can also apply for a scholarship under this programme to study in Ireland. Successful Palestinian fellows have studied a variety of different courses including human rights law and global health at Higher Level Institutions in Ireland. Information on the FTP can be found on Irish Aid’s Fellowship website at www.irishaidfellowships.ie.