From Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
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Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris will today meet with students and stakeholder groups to discuss what can be done to reduce the cost of education.
Over 100 attendees will be at the event including students from higher education, further education and apprenticeships, their student union body, further and higher education institutions and representative bodies.
Today’s meeting gives learners a unique opportunity to have their voice heard, have their priorities discussed and inform the budgetary process.
These priorities will help department officials prepare an Annual Paper of Options which will be published ahead of Budget 2024.
Speaking today, Minister Harris said:
“Reducing the cost of education is a priority for me as Minister for Further and Higher Education.
“We have made a number of important changes in recent years to bring down the cost of college and further education and training.
"In Budget 2023, we reduced the cost of the student administration fee and made it easier for more students to access the SUSI grant.
“We are also helping higher education institutions build student accommodation so that it will be easier for students to study the course they want, where they want.
“However, it is clear we need to do more.
“Ireland has one of the highest participation rates in third level education in Europe but third level remains out of reach for so many people.
"Today’s meeting allows me and officials from my department to hear directly from the people that matter.
“We will hear from the students themselves who are in further and higher education including apprenticeships, access and support officers; and groups advocating for students who are currently underrepresented in education about what could make the greatest impact.
“All of this will be considered and brought together as an options paper on reducing the cost of education, which will be published in advance of the Estimates process.”
As part of Funding Our Future, it was agreed an options paper would be prepared which will set out various measures to address the cost of education.
This will include estimated costs of options to reduce the student contribution.
The paper will set out options for the further enhancement of student support which will be considered as part of the budgetary process in the Autumn.
On 4 May 2022, Funding the Future, the government's policy on the future of higher education was launched.
The policy sets out the vision and direction of higher education funding, our commitment to addressing legacy issues in higher education and detailing our ambitious plans for investment and reform.
Further details are available at Future funding in higher education.