Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 19 Apr 2000

Vol. 518 No. 4

Written Answers. - Third Level Fees.

Noel Ahern

Question:

261 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Education and Science his policy in relation to improving the income limits for the third level maintenance grant; the extent to which limits have improved since 1990; the CPI increase for the same period; if he is committed to implementing the policy reports on the issue over recent years; and his views on the fact that PAYE parents find it a difficult to send children to third level on a household income in the £20,000 to £30,000 bracket. [12007/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods):

The reckonable income limit for a full maintenance grant under the student support schemes for the 1999-2000 academic year is £19,200. Candidates who do not qualify for a full maintenance grant may qualify for a part-maintenance grant, 50% in respect of which the income limit is £20,400. Where two or more children, or the candidate's parent are attending full-time approved third level courses the above income limits may be increased by £2,160 where there are two such children, by £4,320 for three such children and so on, by increments of £2,160. The following table sets out full details of reckonable income limits for 1999.

Number of DependentChildren	Full Maintenance andFull Fees	Part Maintenance (50%)and Full Fees	Full Fees Only	Part Fee (50%) only
Less than 4	£19,200	£20,400	£23,000	£24,300
4-7	£21,100	£22,300	£24,900	£26,200
8 or more	£23,000	£24,300	£26,800	£28,100

In relation to the extent of increase in the income limits since 1990, the reckonable income limit in the case of a family with three dependent children in order to qualify for a full maintenance grant was £10,514. The current equivalent income limit is £19,200, which represents an increase of 82.6%. Over the period, February 1990 to February 1999, the Consumer Price Index increased by 20.9%.

I intend to follow the practice in recent years and increase the reckonable income limits in line with movements in the average industrial wage in the previous year. The reckonable income limits for the 1999/2000 academic year were increased by 4.6%, based on the increase in the average industrial wage for the period March 1997 to March 1998. This increase was also applied to the allowance by which the income limits may be increased in respect of other family members pursuing a course of study.

The question of providing further additional increases in the reckonable income limits can only be considered having regard to overall resource constraints and other competing demands in the education sector. In this regard, the Deputy will be aware that over 40% of third level students qualify for maintenance grants.