Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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285. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the agreements reached between the Irish and UK governments post-Brexit provide that Irish students wishing to study at postgraduate level in the UK pay the same fees as British students; if such students are eligible for maintenance grants under the Irish student grants scheme; if students undertaking distance-learning postgraduate courses at a UK university are covered by the post-Brexit agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58644/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Memorandum of Understanding on the Education Principles for the Common Travel Area, which I signed in July of 2021, commits the Irish and UK Governments to maintain reciprocal rights of Irish and British citizens to access programmes in higher education institutions in each other's States on terms no less favourable that the citizens of that State.The question in respect of distance or online learning which has been raised by my officials with their UK counterparts is also covered, provided the student is residentin the UK for the duration of their studies. They have been assured by the Department of Education in London that this condition equally applies to UK citizens.

The Student Grant Scheme only applies to undergraduate programmes in the UK.

However, students may be able to claim tax relief at the standard rate of tax may in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education, including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU Member States and in non-EU countries. Further information on this tax relief is available from the student’s local Tax Office or from the Revenue Commissioners website, www.revenue.ie.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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286. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which the son of a person (details supplied) is in receipt of their full entitlements by way of a SUSI grant as opposed to the half rate that they were awarded in the first instance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58687/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.

The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine.

If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI.

Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by an appeals officer in SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal may be submitted to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board within the required timeframe (i.e. not later than 30 days after the notification of the determination of the appeals officer to the applicant). Such appeals can be made by the appellant online via www.studentgrantappeals.ie.

The student referred to by the Deputy was issued a letter by SUSI on 11 July 2022 advising they were awarded the 50% rate of Student Contribution if both they and their course were deemed eligible for the Free Fees Initiative (FFI).

On 7 November 2022 the college advised SUSI that the student wasnot eligible for the Free Fees Initiative. As a result, the application was refused, and an ineligibility letter was sent on 10 November 2022 to the student.

The student was advised in accordance with Section 20 of the Student Support Act 2011, of the right to appeal the decision to refuse the application within 30 days of receipt of the letter. As of 22^ndNovember 2022, no notice of appeal has been received by SUSI.