John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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66. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he plans to review the operation of the student grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55562/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, a review was commissioned into SUSI and the operation of the Student Grant Scheme in 2021 and Indecon published a report in February 2022.

This report focused on structural changes to the Student Grant Scheme and a number of improvements were implemented on foot of the recommendations within the report. This improvements included positive changes to adjacent criteria, income thresholds and maintenance rates, and have benefited thousands of students.

Students this academic year are benefitting from Budget 2025 which increased all income thresholds to avail of a student grant including increasing all standard rate thresholds by at least 15%.

In addition for this academic year I have:-

• reduced the student contribution charge permanently by €500 commencing this academic year which will benefit c108,000 students;
• Increased all non-adjacent maintenance grant rates with c30,000 students this academic year seeing a pro-rata increase of between €111-239;
• increased the Post Graduate Fee Contribution Grant by €500 from €4,000 to €4,500 benefitting over 2000 students.

• Non-Adjacent Special Rate increasing by €350
• Band 1 Non-Adjacent Rate increasing by €430
• Bands 2-4 Non-Adjacent Rates increasing by €200