I move amendment No. a1:
In page 3, line 27, to delete "commence" and substitute "pursue".
This amendment replaces amendment No. 1. Therefore, amendment No. 1 should not be moved.
Estimates 1992. - Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Bill, 1992: Report and Final Stages.
I commend the Minister for introducing this amendment, which addresses what we are seeking to achieve. Opposition Deputies had anxieties about amendment No. 1. While that amendment was well intentioned and the Minister indicated a spirit of goodwill behind the tabling of that amendment, we sought further assurance before Report Stage about the Minister's thinking on this issue. We are very grateful to the Minister for introducing amendment No. a1 because he has now enabled us to pass legislation that does justice to everybody and particularly to the 350 people who were the crusaders and pioneers in the higher education grants scheme for mature students. Those 350 people, who lobbied, hassled, prepared a submission and made an irrefutable case, have been vindicated and validated and will now be included. We are deeply grateful that the Minister has done the right thing. The Minister can rest assured that he has the gratitude, good will and thanks of every Member of the House in this regard.
Furthermore, I should like to say that since the Minister has taken over as Minister of State at the Department of Education he has been extremely forthcoming in relation to the Regional Technical Colleges Bill and the Dublin Institute of Technology Bill and in dealing with education matters in general in the House. Certainly he reached the pinnacle of achievement tonight by doing what is the right and decent thing in accepting the right of those 350 people to benefit from the scheme. I thank the Minister of State.
On behalf of the Labour Party I would like unreservedly to thank the Minister and compliment him on reaching a conclusion on the issue which was of concern to the whole House and was affecting 350 people who had moved down the road of improving their prospects in life. Let me say once again we are grateful to the Minister and we will certainly support his amendment.
I, too, would like to express my thanks to the Minister for responding so positively to the debate we have had here all day. It is democracy at work. The Irish Mature Students Association had lobbied for this change in the legislation, the USI had lobbied for this change, individual students had lobbied for this change, a number of speakers on all sides of the House asked in the course of Second Stage that this change be made. The Minister expressed some sympathy for the points of view that were being expressed; a number of formulae were tested out on Committee Stage and eventually the Minister did something that is quite unusual in this House, he made a decision. He decided to accept the argument that was being made to introduce this amendment on Report Stage. He is to be commended very much for it. He will certainly be thanked by the students who will benefit from this change. I welcome it very warmly and appreciate it.
I join with my colleagues in congratulating the Minister on the initiative and, more importantly, the courage he showed here tonight. At various times during the debate on the Bill the Minister emphasised he had sympathy with the case being made by all of us on this side of the House and he has indicated that he was most sincere and truthful when he expressed those words of sympathy. For those of us who sincerely felt that existing mature students should be included in this Bill our case has been vindicated and rewarded. Having fought a long battle, we kept re-stressing our case and it has been successful.
It is important to point out that what the Minister has done is a once-off commitment. It is not a recurring expense on the Exchequer. At this stage I would appreciate if the Minister could inform us what the cost of including existing students in the legislation will be. Once again I reiterate my words of congratulation. His position tonight as Minister of State has been very rewarding.
The Minister's response has been generous and fair. It resolves the principle of the issue. We can do without the costings this evening as long as we are sure that the problem of the 350 people is over.
Amendment put and agreed to.
Bill, as amended, received for final consideration and passed.