Vol. 493 No. 5
251 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Education and Science the discussions, if any, he has had with his counterpart in the United Kingdom regarding the introduction of third level fees in the United Kingdom and the impact this will have on Irish students. [16703/98]
I raised the possible effects of the pro posed changes to tuition fee arrangements with Mr. David Blunkett, the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, at a meeting in London in December 1997. The Secretary of State assured me that it was not the UK Government's intention to deter Irish students from coming to the UK and the new fee arrangements were designed to allow students to contribute fairly to the costs of their higher education. As the Deputy is aware, the proposals in the UK involve the introduction of an annual tuition fee of up to £1,000 depending on parental income, the continuation of free tuition for students from lower income families and the replacement of maintenance grants with student loans.
It is understood that all EU students will be eligible for grant assistance from the UK authorities towards their tuition fees, subject to the same conditions including means testing, as will be applied to UK students and Irish students should apply for such assistance, as previously, to the appropriate UK local education authority.
Irish students studying in the UK will continue to be eligible for maintenance grants, subject to the usual conditions, in respect of attendance at courses approved for the purposes of my Department's student support schemes.
