Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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506. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated first- and full-year cost of extending free fees initiative to graduate entry medical students up to €10,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27986/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Free Fees Initiative (FFI) provides tuition fee funding for eligible first time undergraduate students and therefore students pursuing second level 8 degree courses, including graduate entry programmes, are not eligible for the FFI.

The total level of fees charged to graduate entry students is a matter for the higher education institutions, consistent with the principle of their institutional autonomy.

Development of a scheme or the adjustment of exiting schemes to provide for Graduate Entry Medicine tuition fees would require a specific engagement with providers to agree terms and conditions, including funding arrangements and student numbers. In this regard it is not possible to estimate potential costs associated with introducing a specific scheme or amending the FFI to provide for free or partial tuition fees for all graduate entry medicine students.

The Deputy may be aware that the State already provides support for broadening access to GEM programmes through the part-subsidy of places for EU students. The fees payable by students, as determined by each higher education institution, are net of the subsidy paid by the State.