Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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142. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the halving of the student assistance fund from €16.2 million to €8 million, which has returned the budget allocation of the student assistance fund to pre-Covid levels; if he has any plans to address this issue through a further allocation of funds to the student assistance fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58378/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) is a critical support which is allocated by my Department to higher education institutions (HEIs) through the Higher Education Authority. The fund has a dual focus, it is designed to support students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with ongoing needs for financial support and also to provide emergency financial assistance for students.

The SAF is available in publicly funded colleges, through the access offices, and is accessible to anyone who needs help with the day-to-day costs such as transport, rent, childcare, college materials etc.

In recognition of the cost of living financial challenges facing students and their families, the Government announced the allocation of an additional €8m to top up the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) in Budget 2023. This fund now stands at €17.1 million for the 2022/23 academic year.

This cost-of-living measure is part of a broader package to take effect before the end of 2022, where other measures to assist students and their families include:

- A once-off €1,000 state financial support towards the undergraduate student contribution fee for higher education students eligible for the free fees initiative;

- A once-off reduction of up to 33% in the contribution fee for apprentices;

- A once-off additional payment for all student maintenance grant recipients in December 2022;

- A once-off increase of €1,000 to students who are eligible for the post Graduate fee contribution grant.