Written Answers. - Millennium Fund.
Finian McGrath
Question:
510
Mr. F. McGrath
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
if he will provide an extra allocation to the millennium fund to assist the Northside Partnership in the MESS scheme; and if he will strongly support the principle of more disadvantaged pupils going to third level education.
[15369/02]
Finian McGrath
Question:
516
Mr. F. McGrath
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
if his attention has been drawn to the work being done by the Northside Partnership in relation to marginalised students who have managed to progress to third level education; and if funding will be increased for 2002/2003 in this regard.
[15376/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 510 and 516 together.
There is a provision within the national development plan for a third level access fund totalling €120 million, over the period 2000 to 2006, to tackle disadvantage at third level. The provision for measures to promote access to further and higher education has increased significantly from €0.5 million in 1997 to €24 million in 2002.
The Millennium Partnership Fund for Disadvantage is one of a number of measures aimed at increasing access to third level education, which was introduced following the publication, in July 2001, of the report of the Action Group on Access to Third Level Education.
The fund provides assistance to partnership companies and community groups to develop their support schemes for students from disad vantaged families. The fund is intended to build on the experience of the support scheme for students from disadvantaged families operated by the Northside Partnership.
Area Development Management – ADM – Limited, under whose aegis the partnerships operate, accepted my Department's request that it would administer the fund for the 2001-02 academic year and again, this year, for the 2002-2003 academic year.
The total provision for the fund, in 2001, for the 2001-2002 academic year was €1.2 million, inclusive of an allocation of €101,579 which the Northside Partnership received directly from my Department, as part of the agreement to fund that partnership on a pilot basis for a three year period.
With effect from 2002, all partnerships seeking an allocation from the fund, including the Northside Partnership, were obliged to make application to ADM Limited. I am glad to inform the Deputy that I have approved an overall provision in the Millennium Fund of €2 million for 2002, a significant increase over the allocation for 2001, which represents a clear indication of my commitment to enhancing access to third level education.
My Department understands from ADM Limited that 50 partnerships and community groups will receive allocations in respect of the 2002-03 academic year and that the Northside Partnership has been approved for €120,000 towards its Higher Education Support Scheme – HESS – a significant increase on its allocation in 2001.
My Department is appreciative of the fact that the Northside Partnership's experience, in operating its own higher education scheme, provided valuable input to the action group's deliberations and has informed policy development in the area of disadvantage.
