Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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694. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if steps are being taken to roll out the sanctuary scholarship scheme across all higher education institutions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20506/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are governed by the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technologies Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Within the meaning of these Acts, HEIs are autonomous with regard to the management of their academic affairs and as such retain the right to determine their own procedures and processes, including the making of recommendations by an Academic Council for the awarding by the institution of scholarships, bursaries, prizes or other awards. 

In this context my Department understands that a number of HEIs  are participating in the referenced scholarship scheme. The decision to participate or not  is discretionary on the part of autonomous HEIs and my Department does not have a role in the matter.