Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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346. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason certain courses have been omitted from the €1,000 fee reduction, as detailed in Budget 2025 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42161/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that Budget 2025 contains a package of measures to support households with the cost of education. These measures include a €1,000 reduction in the student contribution fee for higher education students that are eligible for the Free Fees Initiative (FFI).

To avail of this measure students must be eligible for free fees and attending a free fees approved course. Independent institutions operating in the private sector, like the one to which the Deputy refers, can establish courses which operate outside of the Free Fees Initiative. Where such a course is established, the tuition fee payable is entirely a matter for the college as an autonomous institution. The Budget 2025 measure to reduce the student contribution by €1,000 does not apply to such courses. However, it is open to the institution in question, as a private autonomous institute, to apply a similar fee reduction, if it so chooses.

Students experiencing exceptional financial need may be eligible to apply for supports under the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) which has been supplemented by a further €10m under the Government’s cost of education supports in Budget 2025. Students experiencing exceptional financial difficulty can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund, including students attending the institution to which the Deputy refers. This Fund assists students in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances.