Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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741. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students who benefited from the reduction in the student contribution charge in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53514/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Free Fees Initiative (FFI), the State provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate higher education students with students paying the student contribution element.

The State pays the student contribution (in full or part) on behalf of students who qualify under the student grant scheme administered by SUSI.

The cost-of-Living measures in recent years included temporary reductions that reduced the €3,000 student contribution down to €2,000 in the academic years 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25.

Those students that were due to pay the full €3,000 student contribution received the full benefit of these temporary measures with other students receiving proportionate benefits, depending on their circumstances.

The number of students who directly benefitted from the temporary reductions in the student contribution were as follows:

• Circa 94,600 in academic year 2022/23;
• Circa 100,000 in academic year 2023/24; and
• Circa 104,000 in academic year 2024/25