Vol. 474 No. 2
72 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Education if she intends to introduce free travel passes for students attending third-level institutions to help extend their student grant; and if she will make a statement on the financial implications in this regard for students and for her Department. [2662/97]
I have no plans to introduce free travel passes for students attending third-level institutions to help extend their student grant.
The figures available to my Department indicate that some 45,000 students attending third-level institutions during 1995-96 received grants under the higher education grants scheme, the vocational education committee scholarship scheme and the ESF-aided maintenance grants scheme. Based on these numbers and the weekly cost of an unlimited bus pass from Dublin Bus it is tentatively estimated that free travel passes could cost up to £15 million.
