Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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581. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has discussed the proposed increase of student contribution fees and the continuing shortfall in core higher education funding with the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40674/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The provision of Higher Education funding on an annual basis, including student supports and the recurrent grant or core funding allocation, is part of overall expenditure management and budgetary policy for Government.

I am approaching Budget 2026 by considering measures that can ease the financial burden on students and their families by reducing the cost of education in a way that is sustainable, equitable, and targeted.

This approach is in line with what is happening across the Government, with different Ministers, setting out their priorities in the context of the pre-budget negotiation process.

The Deputy will appreciate that it is not possible for me to provide an indication of any measures that may be introduced in Budget 2026. However, I can assure the Deputy that I will be seeking the best possible outcome for the tertiary and research sectors in the upcoming budget.