Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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911.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he plans to review the current SUSI grant system, in particular with regard to assisting mature students, some of whom because of the housing crisis are still forced to live in their parents’ home and are therefore not entitled to receive grants to pursue their chosen course of study; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25329/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy may be aware, the objective of the statutory based student grant scheme is to provide additional assistance where parental income is below a certain threshold or, in the case of independent mature students, where the level of income of the student and his or her spouse warrants additional assistance by way of a grant.

For student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents/ legal guardian or as independent mature students.

A candidate's reckonable income for the purposes of the student grant means test is gross income from all sources and the gross income of his/her parents or guardians, where applicable, with certain specified Department of Social Protection Payments being exempt. Grant assistance may not be awarded in any case where the reckonable income exceeds the prescribed income limits for the award of a grant.

A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he or she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course or of re-entry following a break in studies of at least three years and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents from the previous October. Otherwise he or she would continue to be assessed on the basis of parental income.

In the scenario referenced by the Deputy, given that the student, albeit a mature student, is ordinarily resident with their parents, they would be assessed on the basis of parental income.

In advance of Budget 2025 this autumn, I will be publishing an options paper which will set out various possible measures to address the cost of education. I am doing this in order to facilitate public discussion on the choices available to improve student supports. I will have regard to the issue raised by the Deputy when making proposals in the context of budget discussions.

The Deputy will appreciate that the funding allocation for the Student Grant Scheme is determined in the context of the overall estimates and budgetary process undertaken by all Government Departments. All proposals made in relation to SUSI grant expenditure can only be considered in the context of the budgetary allocation, having regard to overall resource constraints and other competing demands in the further and higher education sector.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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912.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the supports, in terms of grant assistance and subsidisation of fees, that are in place for Irish students who attend universities in other EU Member States; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25357/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to eligible 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.

In relation to support available for students studying abroad, the Student Grant Scheme provides maintenance grants to eligible undergraduate students pursuing approved courses in other EU Member States. In general, an approved undergraduate course in this context is defined as a full-time undergraduate course of not less than two years duration pursued in a university or third level institution, which is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds in another EU Member State or the UK.

The student grant scheme does not and never has extended to the payment of tuition fees to institutions outside the State, other than for exceptional provision in respect of postgraduate courses in Northern Ireland. The Scheme also does not extend to PLC courses pursued outside of the State or postgraduate study pursued outside of Ireland.

The Deputy may wish to note that tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed 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 a student's local Tax office or from the Revenue Commissioners website www.revenue.ie.