Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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228. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated number of students that will be enrolled in higher education in the 2020/2021 academic year; the number enrolled at further education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23003/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Education's Projections of Demand for Full-Time Third Level Education estimate that 196,609 students will be enrolled in full-time higher education in the 2020/2021 academic year. Further details on these projections can be found on the Department of Education's website at the following link:

There are no projections of enrolment available for Further Education.

The actual number of students that will enrol in further and higher education this year will be dependent on a number of factors including:

- The impact of reduced opportunities for employment or foreign travel on student demand for further and higher education

- Whether students will seek to defer or re-apply in subsequent years, given that the student experience this year will be vastly different due to the impact of COVID-19

- Uncertainty around students travelling internationally, both in terms of students hoping to come to Ireland to study, and Irish students hoping to study abroad

With the uncertainty involved in all these factors, it is not possible to make a prediction as to actual enrolment levels this year.