Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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142. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cost per annum of maintaining third level charges at their current rate for each year of the next five years; the cost of abolishing all such fees for each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32158/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, under my Department’s free fees schemes, the Exchequer provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible students with students paying the student contribution currently stands at €3,000. To maintain this system at current rates, and taking into account the expected increase in student numbers over the next five years, the amount of funding required for free fees in each of the next five years is estimated as follows:

2018/19 - €300m

2019/20 - €303m

2020/21 - €307m

2021/22 - €311m

2022/23 - €316m

Again taking into account expected increases in student numbers, it is estimated that the net additional cost to my Department of abolishing the Student Contribution in each of the following five years is as follows:

2018/19 - €203m

2019/20 - €205m

2020/21 - €208m

2021/22 - €211m

2022/23 - €214m

It should be noted that the figures presented incorporate the resulting reduction to my Department's Student Grant Scheme budget based on the assumption of 49% of students who may be in receipt of 100% of the SUSI grant including the student contribution.

While the Student Contribution now stands at €3,000, it is important to recognise that there has been no increase in the Student Contribution since 2015. The exchequer pays this contribution (or part of it) on behalf of almost 50% of undergraduate students who are in receipt of student grant assistance.

Tax relief provisions are also available so that second and subsequent siblings do not have to bear the full cost. In addition, higher education institutions have provisions in place to allow students to pay the contribution in two moieties.