Jack Wall
Question:177 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science the position of the review of maintenance grants for third level students; his plans to increase the grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19243/01]
Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.
My Department operates a number of schemes, administered by the local authorities and vocational education committees, which provide for means-tested higher education grants in order to assist students to attend full-time third level education.
The practice of recent years has been to increase third level maintenance grants at least in line with inflation and the reckonable income limits at least in line with movements in the average industrial wage. My Department expects to issue the 2001 higher education grants scheme shortly, with details of revised rates of maintenance grants and revised income limits.
I announced, late last year, that I was setting up a special project team to carry out a comprehensive review of every aspect of the maintenance grants, and other student supports, to ensure their relevance to the needs of present day third level students.
This review, which is at present in progress, is a wide-ranging review to include the level of grants, the methods by which they are paid, eligibility and income limits, accommodation needs, student support services, the most suitable paying agency, the provision of an appeals system, student loans and taxation.
Some of these topics are, of their nature, complex and require detailed research. For example, costings of the effect of changes in the income limits, below which applicants become eligible for a grant, have been commissioned, and carried out, for the special review. Notwithstanding this, however, I expect that the review will be completed in the near future.