Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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67. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason students who previously sat a year on a different course were excluded from the €1,000 discount on third levels fees when they are subject to the same cost of living pressures as everyone else. [6939/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Government has introduced a range of measures to support people with the cost of living. As part of this overall response, I have introduced a significant package that has seen students and families directly benefit.

The package provided for adjustments to the level of funding available through existing supports provided by my Department, including once-off measures in this academic year.

This included a once-off reduction of €1,000 in the student contribution rate payable by students eligible for free tuition fees under the Department’s Free Fees Initiative for this academic year.

A key principle of the design of the Free Fees Initiative is to encourage progression, that is, to support students in progressing through a chosen course of study from year to year. As a result, students are not typically supported under the Free Fees Initiative for a repeat period of study or for a different course at the same level.

Where students do not qualify for the Department’s Free Fees Initiative, the student contribution does not apply and instead an appropriate tuition fee is charged, as determined by the higher education institution as an autonomous body. The reduction in the student contribution therefore does not apply to students who are not eligible for free fees.

However, recognising the financial difficulties also faced by students who may not be eligible for other supports, I have significantly increased the allocation to the Student Assistance Fund to over €20 million for this academic year - the highest amount ever provided under this Fund.

The Fund can provide assistance towards rent, childcare costs, transport costs and books/class materials for students experiencing financial difficulty. The Fund guidelines provide that students with a previous higher education qualification at the same level, or who, in the past, attended higher education without ultimately obtaining a qualification, may be considered for support on a case-by-case basis.

Information on the Fund is available through the Access Office in the higher education institution attended.