Over €1m in funding will be made available next year, to cover student accommodation costs for those leaving State care.
Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris says it will help those leaving foster or residential care.
Many care leavers are made independent at 18 and face the significant expense of trying to access further and higher education without family or community support.
Minister Harris says the Government will now bridge that gap:
"Can you imagine how much of a challenge it must be, if all of a sudden at 18 years of age you leave foster care or leave state care, and don't have perhaps any form of family support, don't have perhaps a family home. It's really important that we try to step in and bridge that gap".
