Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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567. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the interaction he has had with UCD over the 2% to 4% increase in fees for EU and non-EU students studying graduate entry medicine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34617/20]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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571. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34635/20]

Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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575. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to a campaign by students applying for the graduate entry medicine course in UCD in relation to the increasing fees for this particular course of study; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34947/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 567, 571 and 575 together.

Students pursuing GEM programmes do so as second degree courses and consequently are not eligible for free fees funding or for student grants. However, in order to widen access to GEM programmes, and give assistance towards the financial burden on each student pursuing these programmes, the fees of participating EU students are partly subsidised by the State via the Higher Education Authority (HEA). Currently, the subsidy is €11,200 per student with the balance of fees payable by the student.

There is no Department supported loan scheme in place for GEM students. As you are aware there are private loans available for GEM students but these are arrangements between the relevant lenders and the students applying for such loans and the Department has no role in such arrangements.

Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies as set out in legislation and are responsible for the day-to-day management and operational affairs of the institution. They retain the right to determine their own policies and procedures. The level of fees to be charged in the case of GEM fees are therefore solely a matter for the relevant institution to determine in line with its own criteria.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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568. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the action taken to support students of graduate entry medicine in UCD given that the fees now are higher than the maximum available bank loan to students therefore forcing students out of the course; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34618/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.

To satisfy the terms and conditions of the Student Grant Scheme in relation to progression, a student must be moving from year to year within a course, having successfully completed the previous year or be transferring from one course to another where the award for the subsequent course is of a higher level than the previous course.

In general, under the progression/previous academic attainment criteria of the Student Grant Scheme, students cannot qualify for grant assistance or free tuition fees for a second period of study at the same level or for a different course at the same level, irrespective of whether or not a grant or tuition fees were paid previously.

The main objective of this policy is to assist as many students as possible to obtain one qualification at each level of study. The Scheme operates in the context of competing educational priorities and limited public funding.

To avail of the graduate entry route for medicine, a primary degree in another discipline is necessary. Accordingly such students are ineligible for grant assistance on the basis that they already hold an undergraduate degree.

However, institutions participating in the graduate medical programme have been requested to provide accompanying services and supports to facilitate the participation of disadvantaged students in the programme. Details of these services and supports are available from the relevant institution.

In addition, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may also be available in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Further information on this tax relief is available from a student's local Tax Office or from the Revenue Commissioners website, www.revenue.ie

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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569. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cost to the Exchequer if the same fees were applied for graduate entry medical students as other undergraduate medical students who enter directly from the CAO system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34620/20]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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572. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that graduate entry medical students in UCD are facing the third straight increase in fees; his views on whether the proposed increase is necessary to meet to funding needs of the university given the current level of public funding; his further views on whether these increases are appropriate given the fact that the majority of the educational instruction has moved online this semester and the employment opportunities for students have been diminished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34651/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 569 and 572 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, the fee payable by a student can vary depending on a variety factors including the type of course and the student's access route including previous education.

Under the Department's Free Fees Initiative, the Exchequer pays tuition fees on behalf of eligible undergraduate students attending approved full-time undergraduate courses. In order to qualify for funding under the Department’s Free Fees Initiative, students must meet the criteria of the scheme including the criteria in relation to previous study.

Students pursuing GEM programmes do so as second degree courses and consequently are not eligible for free fees funding or for student grants. However, in order to widen access to GEM programmes, and give assistance towards the financial burden on each student pursuing these programmes, the fees of participating EU students are partly subsidised by the State via the Higher Education Authority (HEA). Currently, the subsidy is €11,200 per student with the balance of fees payable by the student.

Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies as set out in legislation and are responsible for the day-to-day management and operational affairs of the institution. They retain the right to determine their own policies and procedures. Where students do not qualify for free fees funding, they pay the appropriate fee, either EU or Non-EU, as determined by each higher education institution. The total level of fees to be charged in the case of GEM fees are therefore solely a matter for the relevant institution to determine in line with its own criteria.