Information supplied to Independent TD Carol Nolan, and seen by Gript, shows that almost €9 million has been paid out by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research. Innovation and Science in 2022 and 2023 in monthly stipends to Ukrainian students who are currently under Temporary Protection.
A further €10 million has been paid out in other schemes covering Post Leaving Certificate courses as outlined in a separate reply to a Parliamentary Question from Deputy Nolan bringing the total since 2022 to just under €20 million.
Students attending third-level courses in Ireland who are from Ukraine or living in the asylum system are eligible for maintenance grants without means test – and at more than three times the lower rate available to Irish students.
A total of €3,501,020 was paid in monthly higher education stipends of €1,150 to 342 Ukrainian students under Temporary Protection in 2022 and a further €5,269,010 in monthly stipends to 507 students in 2023.
That averaged out at individual payments of €10,236.90 to the 342 beneficiaries of the grant in 2022, and an average of €10,393.52 to each of the 507 students who received the monthly payment in 2023.
The figures for the payments to Ukrainian students were supplied in a letter sent to Deputy Nolan yesterday from Minister Patrick O’Donovan. This was in response to a Parliamentary Question tabled by the Laois/Offaly TD on April 16.
That figure is significantly higher than the average payments received by Irish students who qualify for grants through SUSI. In the current academic year, the rate for a student who lives within 30km of the institution which they are attending is just €3,099.33. The rate paid to students who are living at a distance of more than 30km is €7,312.62.
Irish students are means tested to see if they are eligible for grants.
There is a separate International Protection Student scheme that was introduced in 2015. Those eligible to apply for that include “asylum applicants, subsidiary protection applicants and leave to appeal applicants”. Being granted International Protection is not a necessary requisite for the receipt of a grant as it also applies to persons whose applications have been rejected and are being appealed or who have been given leave to remain despite failing to satisfy the requirements for asylum.
Minister O’Donovan informed Deputy Nolan that since the introduction of the scheme that there have been 94 persons who have been awarded a grant to pursue a Post Leaving Certificate course or an approved undergraduate or postgraduate third level course.
The total cost of the scheme covering those who have applied for International Protection over the past nine years has been €599,995. That averages a grant payment of €6,382.93 per grantee.
In his response to the PQ from Carol Nolan on April 16, Minister O’Donovan also outlined other supports which are available to Ukrainian students who qualify under provisions of Section 60 of the Temporary Protection Act.
This includes the Temporary Tuition Fee Support Scheme (TTFSS) which in 2022/23 was awarded to 310 Ukrainian students who received a total of €1.7 million, an average payment of €5,483.87. The Minister’s Department stated that around 540 Ukrainian students will be eligible for the TTFSS in 2023/24 at a further cost of €2.6 million – an average payment of €4,814.81.
Ukrainian students under Temporary Protection can also apply for a Post Leaving Certificate bursary. This is available as an annual grant of €6,115 paid in monthly instalments to persons attending a SOLAS approved PLC course.
There were 477 approvals in 2022/23 which would amount to an annual cost of €2,916,855 and 614 approvals for 2023/24 which works out at a total of €3,754,610 for the current school year and a total of €6,671,465 since its introduction in 2022.
In total then, the specific grant schemes outlined for Ukrainian students alone have so far cost the taxpayer €19,741,495 since 2022. Ukrainian students are also eligible to receive other non-means tested educational support payments.
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