Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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2144. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the Programme for Government commitment to ‘review the financial supports available to adult learners and promote access to education and lifelong learning’; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59357/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is committed to breaking down cost barriers, making Further Education and Training (FET) and Higher Education (HE) more accessible than ever before.

Direct financial supports are provided to eligible learners.

In FET, courses are free or heavily subsidised. Learners in receipt of social welfare can transfer to a learner allowance when participating in certain courses. The rate depends on an individual’s social welfare payment. For example, a learner over 18 years old in receipt of Jobseekers' or Supplementary Welfare Allowances will transfer to a learner allowance of at least €244/week with additional payments for qualifying dependants. Those under 18, with no social welfare entitlement, may receive up to €45/week. Learners with underlying social welfare entitlements may keep secondary benefits, such as medical cards. Supplementary allowances for food, travel or accommodation may also be available. From January 2026, my Department will increase learner allowances in line with increases to social welfare increases.

Learners on Post Leaving Certificate courses do not receive learner allowances but, if eligible, may qualify for SUSI maintenance grants of up to €7,586/year. Budget 2026 will increase non-adjacent maintenance rates from September 2026. A pro-rata benefit will be effective from January 2026, meaning that the non-adjacent special rate, currently €7,586, will increase to €7,936 for the 2026/27 academic year with a pro-rata increase of €194 from January to May 2026. This will bring the non-adjacent special rate up to €7,780 for the current academic year.

In HE, the Student Grant Scheme provides financial support to eligible full-time students, based on prescribed criteria including nationality, residency, previous academic attainment, and means. In 2024, a new Part-Time Fee Scheme was introduced for eligible students on specified publicly funded undergraduate courses, offering greater flexibility. From September 2023, the required break for “second chance” students to reclassify as independent was reduced from five to three years, supporting access under the National Access Plan.

In HE, the tuition fee payable by a student varies depending on factors including the type of course and the access route. In terms of tuition fee supports, first time students undertaking a full-time undergraduate course may be eligible to have their tuition fees, exclusive of the student contribution, paid on their behalf via the Free Fees Initiative. In addition, the State pays the student contribution (in full or part) on behalf of students who qualify under the student grant scheme as administered by SUSI.

Each year as part of the annual estimates process, my Department reviews financial supports available to adult learners across the tertiary education sector and adjust supports in response, with the aim of making education more accessible to adult learners. As part of this, my Department engages with students through the annual “Cost of Education” event.