539. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether Ukrainian students who have completed Leaving Certificate or QQI/PLC courses in Ireland will be eligible for SUSI or other supports for third-level study in 2026/27; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46477/26]

Ukrainian students who are Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection under Section 60 of the International Protection Act 2015, (BOTP), and who have completed Leaving Certificate in 2026 or a QQI/ PLC Course in the 2025/26 academic year, may be eligible to apply to SUSI for financial supports when progressing to higher education in Ireland.

Students entering a new course whose initial Temporary Protection was granted more than three years prior to the start of the 2026/27 academic year may be assessed via existing schemes such as the Free Fees Scheme and/or the Student Grant Scheme which is administered by SUSI. Prospective students must meet the relevant eligibility criteria of those schemes to avail of supports.

As announced on gov.ie in May 2025, the Temporary Tuition Fee Support Scheme for Displaced Persons (Ukraine), the BOTP Stipend and the PLC Bursary Scheme will be closed for any applicant starting a new course in the 2026/27 academic year.