Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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17. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the student contribution fee will be abolished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55507/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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As part of Budget 2026, I am introducing a permanent reduction of €500 in the Student Contribution charge. This flat rate reduction will reduce the rate from €3,000 to €2,500. This is the first permanent cut since free fees were introduced in 1995. It will benefit around 108,000 undergraduate students and 14,000 apprentices, who will see up to a 17% pro-rata reduction.

The Free Fees Initiative is not means tested, however through the SUSI administered student grant scheme, students may be able to avail of supports towards the student contribution charge.

Earlier this year I signed the regulations to increase SUSI income thresholds by 15% and as part of Budget 2026, I am further increasing this threshold for the €500 student contribution grant by €5,000. Combined with the permanent fee reduction, this means that eligible undergraduate students from households earning under €120,000 will pay no more than €2,000 towards the student contribution charge from next year. Apprentices in higher education will also see a pro rata reduction to their contribution.

Since my appointment, I have engaged extensively with student representatives, and key stakeholders in the tertiary education sector, to help me understand what changes to our student support framework mattered most to students and their families.

At Budget time difficult decisions must be made on how best to utilise available resources. It was important for me to make permanent reductions that are sustainable and that offer certainty to students, as well as making other permanent targeted interventions, such as increasing SUSI rates for those travelling longer distances to college, increasing the Fund for Students with Disabilities and increasing funding for mental health supports.

The Programme for Government commits to reducing the student contribution in a financially sustainable manner over the lifetime of this Government. These changes are meaningful steps toward a fairer, more affordable system and were cognisant of the need to support middle income families.

Looking ahead I will continue to consider all options available to me to improve the overall student support framework and meet our Programme for Government commitments.