Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 Mar 2003

Vol. 563 No. 4

Written Answers - Higher Education Grants.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin

Question:

291 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Science the breakdown of costs to the Exchequer of the payment of third level maintenance grants and tuition fees in 2000, 2001 and 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7799/03]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

The data requested by the Deputy is given below in the following tabular statement. The data in relation to maintenance grants include expenditure under my Department's maintenance grants scheme for students attending post leaving certificate courses.

Expenditure on the Department's Maintenance Grants Schemes, 2000 - 2002

Year	Higher Ed.Grants Scheme¹	VECScholarshipsScheme²	Third LevelTraineesScheme³	Total – 3 ThirdLevel GrantsSchemes	PLC GrantsScheme4	Grand Total – 4Schemes5(Third Level + PLC5)
	€	€	€		€	€
2000	63,577	12,987	33,765	110,329	9,942	120,271
2001	60,179	13,532	31,570	105,281	11,471	116,752
2002	67,598	16,934	35,479	120,111	12,027	132,138

¹The higher education grants scheme covers, where applicable, the tuition fees and student services charges of eligible grantholders.

²The vocational scholarships scheme covers, where applicable, the tuition fees and student services charges of eligible grantholders.

³Formerly the ESF-Aided third level courses maintenance grants scheme for trainees. The scheme relates to students pursuing certificate and diploma courses in the institutes of technology. The scheme covers, where applicable, the student services charges of eligible grantholders.

4The grants scheme for students pursuing post leaving certificate (PLC) courses was first introduced in 1998, to take effect from the 1998-99 academic year.

5In addition to the total amounts shown, expenditure on the special rates of maintenance grants (top-up grants) was incurred in respect of all four schemes as follows: 2001, €3,812,000; and 2002, €9,226,000.

Tuition Fees: Expenditure incurred by the Department of Education and Science 2000-2002

		2000	2001	2002
A*	Free Fees Initiative	€174,408	€193,003	€211,222
B**	IOTs – Cert and Diploma Courses	€26,259	€26,968	€28,378
C	Total	€200,667	€219,971	€239,600

*Row A represents expenditure incurred arising from the introduction of the free fees initiative with effect from 1996.

**Row B represents expenditure incurred in respect of certificate and diploma courses in the institutes of technology. Prior to, and subsequent to, the introduction of the free fees initiative, eligible students pursuing these courses were not charged tuition fees.