Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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676. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students in full or part-time courses leading to a higher education award NQF level 6-10 in the universities, technological universities, institutes of technology and other approved colleges for the years 2016 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52410/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The number of full-time and part-time enrolments in state-funded higher education institutions between 2016 and 2020 are in the table below.

These figures are taken from the HEA's statistics from the Student Records System (SRS) which are published on their website at

Further breakdowns, including breakdowns by institution and course type, are available on the website.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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677. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students in full or part-time courses leading to a higher education award NQF level 6-10 in the universities, technological universities, institutes of technology and other approved colleges who received recurrent grants type funding from the Exchequer from the Department of Education, his Department or the HEA for the years 2016 to date; the average amount provided in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52411/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Students do not receive recurrent grant funding from the Exchequer, the Department of Education, the Department of Higher Education, Research, Innovation or Science or the HEA. Recurrent grant funding is for the running cost of approved institutions.

Student financial support is mainly provided through the Student Grant Scheme and the Student Assistance Funding and other targeted student support measures where a student is attending an approved institution and an approved course for a particular scheme and if they meet the terms and conditions of that scheme.

It has come my attention that there was an error in a response provided to the Deputy in respect of PQ 49540/21, in particular around wording relating to a recurrent grant funding. I will ask the PQ office to amend the record but for clarity for the Deputy, the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) is paid to Universities, Technological Universities and Institutes of Technology. A number of other Higher Education colleges that receive recurrent grants type funding from the exchequer are also approved institutions for the Student Assistance Fund.

A list of the institutions covered by Student Assistance Fund (SAF) is as follows:-

Dublin City University

University College Cork

University College Dublin

National University of Ireland, Galway (including Shannon College)

Maynooth University

Trinity College Dublin

University of Limerick

Technological University Dublin

Technological University of the Shannon

Institute of Technology Carlow

Munster Technological University

Dundalk Institute of Technology

Institute of Art, Design and Technology Dún Laoghaire

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology

Letterkenny Institute of Technology

Institute of Technology Sligo

Waterford Institute of Technology

Marino Institute of Education

National College of Art & Design

National College of Ireland

Mary Immaculate College

St Angela's College

St. Patrick’s College Pontifical University of Maynooth

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, University of Medicine and Health Sciences