382. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the cost of increasing student maintenance grants by 1%, and 5% per year. [43772/24]

The Government recognises third level education can be a significant cost for families and students.

The Deputy will be aware that I published, in September, this year’s Annual Options Paper on the cost of education which sets out options for further enhancement of student supports across the various sectors and was considered as part of this year’s budgetary process. The Deputy should note that the full year cost to the Exchequer of a 1% and 5% increase in the SUSI maintenance grant rates is estimated at €1.65m and €8.23m respectively.

To provide further financial assistance to those students most in need, Budgets 2023 and 2024 saw all maintenance grant holders receive an increase in their grant rates.

• Effective from January 2023, all maintenance grant holders received an increase in their grant rate of between 10% and 14%.

• Effective from January 2024, all non-adjacent maintenance grant rates increased by €615 and all adjacent maintenance grant rates increased by 10%.

• Also effective from January 2024, maintenance for postgraduate students was restored on a similar basis to undergraduate students.

In Budget, 2025 I made further improvements to the student grant scheme and student part-time scheme to increase thresholds while also making other adjustments to improve the scheme:-

• Increase the Special Rate of Maintenance Threshold from €26,200 to €27,400 in line with Social Welfare increases.

• Increase to all other Maintenance and Student Contribution Grant Thresholds by 15%.

• Increase to Postgraduate Fee Contribution threshold and the Part-Time Scheme Threshold to match the new 100% Student Contribution threshold.

• Allowing certain cohorts of people to apply for the grant by extending the list of approved immigration permissions;

• Ensuring that the first €5000 of any scholarship received by a student will not be included as income in the grant means test; and,

• A measure to align the treatment of fee scholarships.