Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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1426. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the financial supports in place for students who travelled recently from Gaza; the fees that they must pay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48819/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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At the outset, the provision of university scholarships for students escaping war zones is underpinned by international human rights and a range of international conventions for which Ireland is a strong proponent and advocate.

In this particular instance as has been the case in many universities across the world given the longstanding principles and values of higher education, Irish universities have sought to contribute to the international response to the major and far-reaching disruption to education on Palestinian students.

The costs, funded through institutional resources as well as philanthropic sources, are being met by the universities in question. This includes setting aside tuition fees, accommodation or stipends.

As Minster with responsibility for higher education, I very much welcome this significant humanitarian action on the part of Irish higher education institutions and fully support their efforts to respond actively to the Palestinian crisis, and their efforts to ensure that at least some Palestinian students have the opportunity to travel to Ireland to complete their education and potentially contribute in important ways to their community and society in the future.