Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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1329. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has been contacted by students on the Erasmus programme who are concerned about mandatory quarantine and the fees associated with same; the actions he has taken in relation to the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19758/21]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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1330. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if Irish third-level students currently studying abroad on the Erasmus programme will be subject to the full costs of mandatory hotel quarantine upon their return to Ireland; the measures being put in place to alleviate same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19807/21]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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1332. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if matters raised in correspondence by a person (details supplied) regarding the hotel quarantine fees faced by students who have studied abroad will receive a response. [19853/21]

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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1334. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures he will put in place to address the hardship being levied on Erasmus students and students studying abroad as a result of the mandatory hotel quarantine system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19894/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1329, 1330, 1332 and 1334 together.

My Department has received representations from Erasmus+ students following the decision to extend the list of countries subject to mandatory quarantine at a designated facility on arrival in Ireland. At present, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Italy are the Erasmus+ Programme Countries in this category.

Ireland is designated as a programme country under the Erasmus+ programme. As a programme country, Ireland is eligible to participate in all actions of the programme and has benefitted significantly from our participation.

As part of the programme, each programme country must nominate a National Authority to monitor and supervise the management of the programme at National level. Ireland’s nominated Erasmus+ national authority is based in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

As national authority, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has designated the Higher Education Authority (HEA), as national agency for Erasmus+ in the field of higher education. As the national agency, the HEA is responsible for the participation of the higher education sector. The national authority provides co-funding for the operational costs to the European Programmes Unit of the HEA.

The policy of the national authority has always been to strongly encourage participation in the Erasmus+ programme. On this basis, the Department as national authority, has agreed at the request and advice of the national agency, to cover the cost of mandatory hotel quarantine for Erasmus+ participants at all levels who are returning to Ireland from countries on the quarantine list.

We are currently working with the Department of Health on the arrangements to support this decision.