Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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3325. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide the total number of grant payments issued by the Department in each of the past five years, along with the total value of those grant payments for each year, in tabular form; and to confirm whether these figures include all schemes and discretionary grant programmes administered directly by the Department or through its agencies. [41059/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The information in relation to this parliamentary question is being collated and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it becomes available.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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3326. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of persons who applied for the SUSI grant on the grounds that they were estranged from their parents, in each of the past ten years. [41146/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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For student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students.A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he or she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course or of re-entry following a break in studies of at least three years and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents from the previous October. Otherwise he or she would continue to be assessed on the basis of parental income.Only in exceptional cases, where compelling evidence of estrangement from parents/guardians is provided, can candidates who are under 23 be assessed without reference to their parents/guardians income or address, Article 21(3) (b) of the Scheme refers.

The assessment of a case of estrangement is carefully considered to ensure there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the exceptional circumstances pertaining in such cases genuinely exists. Cases of genuine estrangement are relatively rare and almost always will involve exceptional circumstances unique to a particular family situation. The scheme does not stipulate precisely how an awarding authority satisfies itself that such circumstances prevail. This is to allow the awarding authority sufficient flexibility to assess the evidence of irrevocable estrangement in each individual case. The type of documentary evidence required is dependent on the applicant's individual circumstances.

Please see below for the number of applicants who applied for a SUSI grant stating estrangement from 2016/17 to 2025/26.

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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3327. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will benchmark SUSI grants and reckonable income levels against the cost of living, include the SUSI maintenance support for part-time students, and enable those in receipt of SUSI to receive financial support for repeat exams;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41204/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I am acutely conscious of the financial challenges facing students and the need for the progressive implementation of measures to address costs as a barrier to education. I am committed to easing this burden for students and their families in a financially sustainable way.

I hosted a cost of education event in early April to better inform the decisions on this issue and to meet with representative groups. This event was attended by key stakeholders from the tertiary education sector. The event served as an opportunity for all to have their say on the key cost of education issues.

Over the past few Budgets this Department has made significant enhancements to the Student Grant Scheme, including changes to income thresholds and maintenance rates, benefitting thousands of students. I have in Budget 2025 also ensured that measures to support students have formed a core part of the Government's overall response to cost of living issues.

From September 2025 I am delighted to be able to increase all income threshold limits for Student Grants:-

• I am increasing the special rate of maintenance threshold from €26,200 to €27,400 in line with Social Welfare increases.
• I am increasing all other maintenance and student contribution grant thresholds by 15%.
• I am also increasing the postgraduate fee contribution threshold and the part-time fee scheme threshold to match the new 100% Student Contribution threshold which will now be €64,315.