Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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249. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline any plans to increase student grants and stipends to meet increasing accommodation costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29076/26]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I am conscious of reducing the cost of education for students, and I have consistently outlined my commitment to improving student supports in a way that is equitable, funded and fair, and provides certainty for families.

That is why I prioritised funding for students in Budget 2026 and introduced real and permanent changes that support students from all backgrounds and help reduce the cost of education.

I increased all non-adjacent maintenance grant rates under the Student Grant Scheme by at least €200 effective from September 2026 with a pro-rata benefit for students this academic year. This measure will ease the financial burden on students and will benefit approximately 30,000 PLC, Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students whose normal residence is 30 kilometres or more from their institution who may have to pay rent or higher transport costs.

In addition, I reduced the Student Contribution Charge for free fees eligible students permanently by €500, supporting around 108,000 undergraduate students. I have also increased the Postgraduate Contribution Grant by €500 from €4,000 to €4,500 for eligible students.

I have also increased the income threshold for the €500 student contribution from €115,000 to €120,000, effective from September 2026. 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 2026/27 academic year.

I provided €19.3 million for the Student Assistance Fund which is more than a quarter of a million euro up on the previous year. It is available to all students who have an emergency financial need and supports approximately 22,000 students each year.

The recently published Student Accommodation Strategy sets out Ireland’s national policy to support access to appropriate housing for students. Under this Strategy, I am committed to further expanding and enhancing supports that directly address the affordability pressures facing students, especially for those who need it most.