Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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381. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of abolishing the student contribution fee in equal annual instalments to 2030. [43771/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that I published the Annual Options Paper on Reducing the Cost of Education in September (). The paper identifies various options to reduce the cost of education, including options to reduce the student contribution paid by students.

The Annual Options Paper has estimated the cost of removing the student contribution at circa €289m; this is the net cost after allowing for savings that would accrue on the SUSI grant scheme if it were abolished. The paper also includes the costs of various options to reduce the student contribution by amounts ranging from €100 up to its full removal.

As part of the Budget 2025 cost of living package, we are providing once off funding in 2024, to reduce the student contribution by up to €1,000 for free fees eligible students in the academic year 2024/25.

If a permanent reduction of say €750 were to be applied for the 2025/26 academic year, it would cost circa €74.3m. If a further €750 reduction were applied in 2027, then a similar cost would arise and so on. These costings are based on current 'free fees eligible' student numbers and SUSI fee grant holders. It is likely that the costings would have to be reviewed each year to allow for movements in student numbers and SUSI grant holders over the period up to 2030.