Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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319. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department will financially assist each Erasmus student to travel to their mainland European destination university by ferry and train (as opposed to by air which is often cheaper and incentivised); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19938/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The Erasmus+ Programme promotes and funds Green Travel which is defined in the programme guide as “Travel that uses low-emissions means of transport for the main part of the travel, such as bus, train, bike or car-pooling.” In this definition, ferries are not considered to be more green than air travel. Irish participants of the programme are encouraged to prioritise green travel as their first choice when planning the trip by taking short (non-connecting) flights or ferries to the UK or mainland Europe and continuing their journey by land.

Given we are an island nation maintaining and developing meaningful connections to our continental European partners is essential to the development and growth of our educational systems and for Irish people to reach their full potential. Erasmus+ is the most extensive learning mobility and exchange scheme in the world, the programme moves thousands of pupils, learners, young people, students and staff and recognises the impact this has in contributing to carbon emissions.

The promotion of environmental sustainability and green practices in higher education mobility are a key priority of the Erasmus+ Programme 2021-2027 and must be promoted by Higher Education Institutions as part of their obligations under the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education holders. This includes the promotion of more sustainable methods of transport, ensuring sustainability is a key consideration for organising events and conferences and facilitating the digital transformation of Erasmus+ through the European Student Card Initiative.

Students and recent graduates who do not receive travel support can opt for green travel. In this case, they will receive a single contribution of €50 as a top-up amount to the individual support and up to 4 days of additional individual support to cover travel days for a return trip, if relevant. If a student is in receipt of travel support (such as those who will be travelling under the current Erasmus+ call for funding 2024), they will receive travel support at higher rate if they are travelling by more sustainable methods of transport, ranging from €210 to €610 based on the distance they are travelling.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy may be aware, Technological Universities and Institutes of Technology are autonomous bodies in relation to their administrative and academic affairs as provided for in the Institutes of Technology Act (2006) and the Technological Universities Act (2018). This includes the administering of disciplinary matters such as expulsions, and neither I nor my Department have any role in this matter. As such, my Department does not maintain records relating to student expulsions. I would recommend that this matter be pursued directly with the individual Higher Education Institutions.