Vol. 518 No. 5
203 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if funds are available in this year's Estimates to deal with long established anomalies in the higher education grant such as the age for designating the student as mature and the criteria for determining independence. [12166/00]
I have already indicated my intention to follow the practice of recent years and increase the maintenance grants in line with inflation as measured by the change in the consumer price index for the period mid February to mid February each year. Provision has been made in the Estimates for further indexation in this regard. Similarly, in relation to the reckonable income limits, I intend to follow existing practice and increase these limits in line with movements in the average industrial wage in the previous year. This approach will ensure that the real value of maintenance grants is maintained.
I will be reviewing the provisions of the student support schemes and any changes that I consider appropriate and feasible, having regard to overall resource constraints and other competing demands in the education sector, will be included in the student support schemes for the coming academic year.
