Written answer
Further and Higher Education
Minister Lawless outlined five-year IPS Scheme funding figures, noting lower 2024/25 expenditure because tuition fees were waived and 2026/27 data remained provisional.
230. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total annual expenditure under the international protection student scheme in each of the academic years for the past five years. [67320/26]
Comment on this
231. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of adult international protection applicants who received funding under the international protection student scheme in each of the past five years. [67319/26]
Comment on this
I propose to take Questions Nos. 230 and 231 together.
In terms of supports for migrants and international protection applicants, the International Protection Student (IPS) Scheme was introduced in 2015.
This Scheme is targeted at particular groups of students who are in the international protection or leave to remain process and are pursuing an approved post leaving certificate course or an approved undergraduate or postgraduate course. Such students cannot access the Student Grant Scheme because they do not meet the eligibility criteria under the scheme. The IPS Scheme largely mirrors the Student Grant Scheme and includes a means test and residency criteria.
Please see the below the number of applicants to the IPS Scheme who were awarded funding, the number of paid applicants and the total annual expenditure over the previous five academic years as requested by the Deputy.
*Please note the value for 2024/25 is lower than previous years as no tuition fees were due to be paid for academic year 2024/25.
**Please note that these figures are likely to change as SUSI continues to process applications and payments for academic year 2026/27.
All data is as of 18 September 2026.