Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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910. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 585 of 1 April 2025, if he is satisfied that his Department undertook the necessary ‘consultation and engagement’ required by the Department of Justice Charter, as opposed to mere ‘notification’ referenced in the reply of 1 April 2025; and if he has heard reports of Irish embassies and consulates in other countries advising that students need not travel here to pursue English language studies. [24461/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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At Government level, the administration and management of international student programmes is within the remit of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS), with my Department having responsibility for visa and related residency policies. There is regular communication and collaboration between both departments, as well as their associated bodies such as Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) and the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

As previously advised, following a review by my Department and DFHERIS in 2022, it was concluded that the level of funds required should be increased to more accurately reflect the average annual living expenses for students in Ireland. It was also agreed that the difference in funds required for students based on visa requirements would be removed over time. To this end, the level of funds required was increased in 2023 and 2024, and the recently announced increase, as stated on my Departments Immigration Service website, will come into effect in June 2025: www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-study-in-ireland/what-are-my-study-options/a-fee-paying-private-primary-or-secondary-school/information-on-student-finances

I am informed that these changes followed consultation with stakeholders, including both representative bodies and individual institutions in the higher education and English language sectors. DFHERIS, as the Department with primary responsibility for international education policy, carried out the bulk of this consultation.

I can advise the Deputy that the decision to set the level of funds required for international students at €10,000 for courses of one year in duration arose directly from engagement with institutions. As part of an independent review in 2022 of the Government’s International Education Strategy 2016-2020, higher education institutions provided estimates of the actual cost of living for their students in different regions of the country. Based on these estimates, and further communication between DFHERIS and these institutions, it was decided that €10,000 was the most reasonable baseline figure.

From June 2025, shorter courses resulting in a stay of usually 6 to 8 months in duration have a new monthly financial requirement for both visa and non visa required students, which will be €833 per month. This equates to €4,998 for a 6 month stay or €6,665 for an 8 month stay.

DFHERIS notified the representative bodies for Ireland’s higher education institutions and English language schools of this change and asked that they disseminate it to their members. It should be noted that my Department had signalled previously that the different financial requirements for international students from visa required and non-visa required countries was an anomaly, and that it was the intention to align them over time. The latest change, to apply from 30 June 2025, is the completion of this process.

I am not aware of any Irish embassies or consulates advising students not to travel to Ireland to pursue English language studies.