asked the Minister for Education if she has plans to make payment of the maintenance element of higher education grants to students eligible for grants, who cannot find places in Irish universities and are forced to find places in the United Kingdom.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Higher Education Grants.
48.
The higher education grants scheme and the vocational education scholarships scheme provide that grants shall be tenable in respect of degree and other approved courses of higher education in Ireland. The purpose of this requirement in the schemes of financial assistance operated under the aegis of my Department is to give financial assistance to students ordinarily resident in Ireland who reach a minimum standard in the leaving certificate examination of the Department of Education but, who, because of family circumstances, might not be in a position to proceed to a university or other approved third level course in Ireland.
As the effect of the Deputy's proposal would be to diminish the finance available for third level education in this country at a time when there are necessary constraints on Exchequer resources, I cannot consider an amendment to the schemes of assistance along the lines suggested by the Deputy.
I am disappointed with the Minister's response. While I acknowledge the financial constraints, I point out to the Minister that the people involved in this question are young people whose parents have been means-tested and who have qualified for a grant under those terms. They are also students who have got four honours in their leaving certificate examination and again on that score they have qualified for grants. The only area in which they have failed is in the provision of sufficient third level places so in a sense they have not failed on any count but we have failed them because we have not enough third level places to take them on board as students. Since these students are deemed eligible in every way and meet every requirement, does the Minister not feel that we are honour bound as a country to make some provision for them? Since we do not provide in terms of places we should make some provision in terms of grants. Young people are going abroad. The tuition part of their fees is being paid by the colleges to which they go and in which they are getting places——
I must dissuade the Member from making a speech.
Will the Minister agree it is time for a change? We will have only three, four or five years of this population bulge and surely we are honour bound to make some provision for these young people to meet the maintenance element of their cost. If we had enough places we would find it at home.
In answer to two points of the Deputy's supplementary, the scheme applies to Ireland, this country. The matter to which the Deputy refers, students receiving the fee's element of their third level education, is a matter for the EC Directive allowing for such movements within European countries and for the fee element to be so paid. I concede that the considerable amount of money given to the third level scheme and kept up by successive Government is an indication of the commitment we have to it. Of course one would wish there was more money. One would wish there was more money for everything but the accelerating rate at which these moneys have increased year by year is indicative of the commitment of various Governments. Regarding the paucity of places, I hope the interdepartmental committee who are sitting at the moment reviewing the throughput of students, length of courses, duration and so on will come up with some welcome recommendations which perhaps will allow for greater throughput of students on particular courses.