Students continue to be hugely impacted by the cost-of-living increases and the very specific accommodation crisis that leaves so many of them stuck in their childhood bedrooms. The Green Party believes budget 2027 needs to show this generation of young adults they still have some stake in our State. In our pre-budget submission, drafted by our higher education spokesperson, Councillor Eva Dowling, the Green Party is calling on the Government to raise the household income ceiling for free fees from its current rate of €64,000 to €120,000. This significant rise in the free fee eligibility would mean thousands of students in that squeezed middle would become exempt from the need to pay the €2,500 student contribution charge.

As the Taoiseach makes the final decisions about next week's budget, will he consider this proposal or others that will make a meaningful difference to students in 2027?

The Government has made a lot of progress in helping students. Undoubtedly, accommodation is probably the greatest difficulty many students face in terms of attending third level education. We have expanded places. We have created new special places for particular disciplines and so on and expanded them. We have substantially improved and enhanced the student support schemes and reduced the fees to €2,500 permanently. The Minister for higher education is in discussions with the Minister for public expenditure in respect of his Estimates and he is anxious, in particular, to try to help larger families who might have two or three students in third level education at the same time. He is endeavouring to try to see what he can do with the variety of support schemes that are there to help, particularly young people with disabilities and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.