I welcome the report of the advisory committee which reflects the expertise and commitment that the members brought to their task. The report contains significant recommendations aimed at improving the equity and fairness of the student support arrangements and the quality of service to students. The report highlights a lack of public confidence in the present system, particularly in relation to the operation of the means test.
It has elicited a widespread response from various interest groups particularly in relation to the most appropriate arrangements for the assessment of means. I am anxious to take careful note of the debate which the publication of the report has generated before reaching conclusions on the more contentious proposals.
In line with the commitment in the Government of Renewal Policy Agreement, and taking account of the recommendations of the advisory committee, I will be pursuing the reform of the higher education grants scheme as resources permit. My objective will be to ensure that available resources are used to benefit students in most need and that the quality of service to students will be of the highest attainable standard.
The perceived inequities and anomalies in the third-level student support means-testing arrangements have led to considerable debate in recent times. As part of my continuous review of the schemes, I will give particular attention to the procedures for means assessment in order to ensure that they serve, and are seen to serve, most effectively the objective of ensuring that available resources benefit students in greatest need. In this regard I will take particular account of the public reaction to the committee's recommendations.
I have already implemented a number of recommendations for improvements made by the advisory committee in its report. These include—the abolition of the separate academic attainments for eligibility for a grant; this will ensure that all students who have secured a college place will now qualify for a grant subject to their satisfying the means test; the introduction of new rules for second chance cases; the provision of a discretionary budget to institutions from 1994 to set up a hardship fund; the provision of financial support to assist students with physical disabilities and the simplification and earlier issue of the student support schemes to facilitate students with their grant applications.