Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The National Student and Researcher (NSR) Helpdesk is a key element of my Department’s response and is the single national point of contact for all qualified persons seeking to access higher education in Ireland.

The Helpdesk has been gathering and assessing all queries made to it to date, allowing the higher education institutions (HEIs) to work with these potential students to inform them of their options and to help them with their admissions applications, based on the evidence and information they provide.

This process will enable my Department to develop a clear picture of the demand for places and work with the higher education system on the provision of these places, recognising that final decision-making on admissions rests with the relevant institutions.

On 21 June, I secured Government agreement to introduce a series of measures to help these displaced students and researchers. These measures include a new temporary tuition scheme, an extension of eligibility to Springboard, a new bursary scheme for those who wish to take SOLAS approved PLC courses and an extension of the Student Assistance Fund.

The European Commission have also indicated to Member States to be flexible in their use of the national Erasmus grant to support displaced persons wishing to continue their full-time education, and my officials are now working with the HEA to put this in place. Finally, existing supports for mental health and well-being provision in the HEIs will be extended to include displaced students.

I am confident the series of supports outlined will address the needs of those displaced students and researchers and my officials and I will continue to closely monitor their implementation and the level of demand being sought, with the help of the NSR Helpdesk to ensure we meet the needs of these displaced students.