104. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the plans to alleviate the costs on third level student families in budget 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50269/26]

I am committed to making Further Education and Training and Higher Education more accessible than ever before. I want to make improvements to student supports that are permanent and which give certainty to families.

Budget 2026 offered me my first opportunity to make real and permanent changes in support of students, which included the first permanent reduction in the Student Contribution fee of €500. It is my intention to continue rolling outequitable, sustainably fundedand fair measures over the term of this Government and my officials have been tasked with examining the feasibility and costs that would be incurred in the implementation of additional and new measures.

Other budget 2026 changes include increases to all SUSI non-adjacent maintenance grant rates; an increase tothe postgraduate fee contribution; an increase in the special rate of maintenance grant threshold and increasing the income thresholdfor the €500 student contribution grant to €120,000.

In Further Education & Training, courses are free or heavily subsidised, and eligible learners can receive financial supports.

Learners on social welfare may transfer to a learner allowance while on certain courses and can usually keep secondary benefits, such as medical cards. I have also permanently reduced the contribution fee for 14,000 apprentices in higher education by up to 17%.

In addition to these measures, 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.

To inform decision-making head of Budget 2027, I will publish anoptions paperwhich willidentifycosts and potential impacts of various policy options aimed at reducing the cost of higher education.

While I cannot confirm at this stage in the year the specific items that will be included in the next Budget, options to support students and reduce financial barriers will be key priorities for me as part of Budget negotiations.