Written answers
Thursday, 16 October 2025
Department of Education and Skills
Further and Higher Education
Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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31. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the delivery of a university campus on the northside of Cork city. [55306/25]
James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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My officials and I are working closely with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to realise our collective ambition for the delivery of Higher Education across the country. Rather than operating from an institution-specific annual distribution, capital projects across the Higher Education sector are identified through competitive programmes and processes, with successful projects progressing through the various stages of architectural planning, tender and construction in line with the provisions of the Infrastructure Guidelines (formerly Public Spending Code). No proposal has been received for the delivery of a university campus on the northside of Cork city.
Higher education capital funding and related projects are primarily organised on the basis of funding programmes, which have tailored parameters depending on the objectives that they seek to achieve.
The key Exchequer funding programmes to date include the following:
- Higher Education Strategic Infrastructure Fund
- Higher Education Infrastructure Upgrade and Refurbishment Fund
- Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation Pathfinder Programme (co-funded with SEAI)
- Technological Sector Strategic Projects Fund (TSSPF)
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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32. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable access to higher education for all students given the ongoing accommodation crisis and rising cost-of-living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55957/25]
James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I am acutely conscious of the challenges facing students including difficulties with the cost of living and the cost and availability of student accommodation.
Inclusion is a priority for the Government and my Department. This year, through Budget 2026, I have delivered on that priority:
- Non-Adjacent Grants are up
- The highest threshold for SUSI is up
- Supports are up and
- Student fees are down permanently
In addition, 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 for students whose normal residence is 30km or more from their institution. Importantly, c30,000 students this academic year will see a pro-rata increase of between €111-239.
- Permanently increased the Post Graduate Fee Contribution Grant by €500 from €4,000 to €4,500 benefitting over 2000 students.
Students will see the full benefit of non-adjacent maintenance grant rate increases with the: -
- Non-Adjacent Special Rate increasing by €350
- Band 1 Non-Adjacent Rate increasing by €430
- Bands 2-4 Non-Adjacent Rates increasing by €200
The income threshold for the €500 student contribution grant will increase from €115,000 to €120,000. Combined with the permanent fee reduction, this means that eligible undergraduate students whose households earning are under €120,000 will pay no more than €2,000 towards the student contribution charge in the 26/27 academic year.
I have also secured funding to support students with a disability in higher education and an additional €1m in funding to support student mental health and healthy campus initiatives.
In terms of the Student Contribution charge I think it is important to clarify that any student who is eligible for a maintenance grant are also entitled to a 100% grant towards their Student Contribution Charge. Our targeted measures are therefore supporting families who need assistance most.
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