Vol. 529 No. 1
1157 Mr. P. Carey asked the Minister for Education and Science if he is in a position to allocate funds to Ballymun Initiative for Third level Education in order that it can continue to support third level and post leaving certificate scholarship holders for the 2000-01 academic year; if he will consider similar initiatives in other partnership areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1144/01]
I am glad to inform the Deputy that, in December 2000, my Department allocated £47,000 to the Ballymun Initiative for Third Level Education – BITE – in support of its higher education support programme for the 2000-01 academic year.
My Department also allocated funding of £75,000 to the Dublin Northside Partnership in 2000 in support of its higher education support programme to assist students from disadvantaged families to participate in higher education.
In September 2000, I announced a new millennium partnership fund for disadvantage with a provision of £1 million in 2001 and that the fund would be administered by my Department in conjunction with the area partnerships. I expect to receive in the near future the report of the action group on access to third level education, which I established last September, and I understand that recommendations relating to the operation of the fund will form part of that report.
