Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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631. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a course (details supplied) is not covered for State funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40080/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy may be aware that the institution to which she refers is funded by the Department of Education.

Private higher education institutions, including the institution to which the Deputy refers, may be able to receive funding or subsidies from the State for limited courses that are approved for funding under specific initiatives.

Through the Free Fees Initiative (FFI) the State has assumed responsibility for compensating institutions for the income previously generated by student tuition fees payable by FFI eligible students, attending free fees approved courses, exclusive of the student contribution.

FFI approved course eligibility is restricted to full-time undergraduate courses in public higher education institutions (HEIs) as well as a limited number of designated courses in private not for profit institutions. The institution under reference has limited free fees eligible courses approved and funded by the Department of Education.

It is open to private institutions, like the college in question, to offer additional undergraduate courses outside those approved for free fees or approved for other State schemes offering a subsidy towards course provision.

As the Deputy will appreciate, while private and private not for profit institutions play an important role in the overall higher education landscape, it is not possible for my Department to directly subsidise all courses or student places provided by private institutions.

In this regard the extension of free fees funding to additional courses in private institutions only applies where a specific teaching and learning need has been identified by the Department, another Department or the HEA.

With respect to the Deputy’s specific question, the course under query was established by the institution and neither this Department nor the HEA have issued a call for the provision of free fees courses in the skill area referenced.

It remains open to the college to apply for funding through competitive call processes such as Springboard+ or other HEA calls for expression of interest to provide courses in response to national skill needs.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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632. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to consider allowing children of Irish parents who have emigrated outside of the EU, and have not lived in the EU for three of the past five years, to avail of the free fees scheme to attend third-level education in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40176/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Under the Free Fees Initiative, the State pays tuition fees, exclusive of the student contribution, on behalf of eligible students attending approved full-time undergraduate courses. In order to qualify for funding under the Department's Free Fees Initiative, students must meet the criteria of the scheme including the residency requirements in their own right.

In order to meet the residency criteria a student must have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss/UK state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course.

The three out of five year rule takes cognisance of students who wish to take time out to travel or work abroad. Such students can still meet the residency requirement if they have not been outside the countries referenced above for more than two of the previous five years.

All students are required to meet the residency criteria of the scheme preceding their entry to an approved third level course. Under EU law, nationals of other EU jurisdictions are entitled to access education on the same basis as Irish citizens. It would not be feasible to provide an exemption for persons of Irish nationality only.

Where students do not qualify for free fees funding they must pay the appropriate fee, either EU or Non-EU, as determined by each higher education institution as autonomous bodies.

My Department is conscious of the impact of the Free Fees Initiative eligibility criteria on Irish nationals who had, for occupational or economic reasons, to move abroad, requiring them to take their children out of the Irish education system in the process.

In March 2014, following consideration by Government, the then Minister for Education and Skills requested that the Higher Education Authority (HEA) advise the higher education sector of the Government’s view that, with effect from the academic year 2014/15 onwards, higher education institutions should charge the more moderate rate of EU fee for full-time undergraduate students that commence their first undergraduate course of study in an approved institution here and:

• Hold EU/EEA/Swiss nationality but do not meet the residency clause of the Free Fees Initiative; and
• have completed five academic years of study (at either primary or post-primary level) in an EU/EEA/Swiss State.