Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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458. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated full-year cost of removing all postgraduate tuition fees. [44943/21]

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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459. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated full-year cost of removing all postgraduate registration costs. [44944/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 458 and 459 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, fee levels vary across the institutions, disciplines and mode of delivery. Registration fees and postgraduate tuition fees are payable to Higher Education Institutions.

Higher Education Institutions are autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own day-to-day management and operational affairs, including the management of academic affairs. They retain the right to determine their own policies and procedures. The level of registration fees and postgraduate tuition fees to be charged are therefore solely a matter for the relevant institution to determine in line with its own criteria. My Department is therefore not in a position to provide an estimated cost for removal of such fees by the sector.

The main support available to assist postgraduate students with the cost of attending higher education is the Student Grant Scheme. Students can check eligibility and apply for grant supports on www.susi.ie.

This year’s scheme includes enhanced supports for postgraduate students which I secured in Budget 2021. This is an initial step in meeting part of the Government’s commitments regarding SUSI grant support.

The Programme for Government contains commitments to, among other things, review SUSI eligibility criteria, adjacency rates and postgraduate grant supports. On foot of these commitments I gave approval to commence a review of the Student Grant Scheme. My Department is overseeing the implementation of the review. It is anticipated that the review will be completed later this year and will inform future priorities regarding the development of student grant policy.