Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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1239. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of allowing SUSI to cover micro credentials; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23579/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The Student Grant Scheme is a means-tested scheme. The numbers of students undertaking courses relating to micro-credentials who would meet the means tested criteria and other eligibility criteria for SUSI is not held by my Department and therefore I cannot provide an estimate as requested.

Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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1240. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of increasing the criteria of the special rate of SUSI for all those earning under €50,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23580/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The Student Grant Scheme is targeted at those students who are most in need of financial assistance and the Special Rate of grant is a key tool in targeting student grant assistance at the cohort of students who are most in need.

The qualifying criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant in the 2025 Student Grant Scheme are as follows:

(i) The student must qualify for the standard rate of grant (i.e. the 100% grant);

(ii) Total reckonable income in the reference year, after income disregards and Child Dependent Increase(s) are excluded, must not exceed €27,400; and

(iii) As at 31st December 2024, the reckonable income must include one of the eligible long-term social welfare payments prescribed in the Student Grant Scheme.

The special rate of grant in the Student Grant Scheme has, as a matter of long-standing policy, been targeted at applicants who are the dependents of people receiving long-term welfare payments, where the relevant eligibility criteria are met.

The report of the Action Group on Access to Third Level Education made detailed recommendations concerning the introduction of special rates of maintenance grants for disadvantaged students. The rationale for the special rate is that it is targeted at those who are "most in need", which the report identified as child dependents of people receiving long-term social welfare payments, where other necessary conditions are fulfilled.

Accordingly, to effectively target this cohort, the income threshold for the special rate of grant is strategically aligned with the highest Department of Social Protection rate, which is the maximum point of the weekly State Contributory Pension plus the maximum Qualified Adult Allowance for a person over 66 years, in order to target students from households in receipt of long term social welfare assistance effectively. The income threshold for the special rate of grant for the 2025 Scheme has been increased from €26,200 to €27,400 to keep in line with increases in the old age pension.

The eligibility criteria for student grants are reviewed annually by the Department and approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. All proposals made in relation to education expenditure, including student grants, are considered in the context of the annual Budget.

In advance of Budget 2026 this autumn, I will be publishing an options paper which will identify costs and potential impacts of various policy options aimed at reducing the cost of higher education. This paper will inform decision-making ahead of Budget 2026. I will have regard to options on increasing the special rate income thresholds when making proposals in the context of budget discussions.