Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 13 May 2003

Vol. 566 No. 3

Written Answers. - Third Level Participation.

Charlie O'Connor

Question:

254 Mr. O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Science his plans to respond to reports that Dublin has one of the lowest levels of participation in third level education of any EU capital city; if his attention has been drawn to the interest in such an issue in Tallaght and Dublin south-west generally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12689/03]

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

I am aware of the report by Professor Pat Clancy on his fourth national survey of access to higher education which found that Dublin, by comparison with other counties, had a low level of participation in third level education. However, it should be noted that this survey, based on entrants to higher education in autumn 1998, was carried out before the significant additional funding committed by Government to further and higher education. New measures have been introduced specifically aimed at increasing access to third level education. There is a provision within the national development plan for a third level access fund totalling almost €121 million, over the period 2000-06, to tackle disadvantage at third level. The report of the action group on access to third level education, which was established to advise on the development of a co-ordinated strategy to increase participation of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, mature students and students with a disability at third level, was published in July 2001.

To date, a number of measures have been taken in response to some of the main recommendations in the report. These include special rates of maintenance grant, usually referred to as 'top-up' grants, payable to disadvantaged grant holders, were introduced with effect from the 2000-01 academic year. Following a review in 2002, I increased the annual income threshold for the special rates by 32%. For 2002-03, I also increased the special rate of grant to €4,000 for students residing more than 15 miles from college and €1,600 for students resident within 15 miles of college. As a result of the review, it is expected that the number of students qualifying for the "top-up" grant in 2002-03 will double to 7,000 students.

A new millennium partnership fund for disadvantage was introduced with effect from 2001. The fund provides assistance to partnership companies and community groups to develop their support schemes for students from disadvantaged families. Area Development Management Limited, under whose aegis the partnerships operate, accepted my Department's request that it would administer the fund for the 2001-02 academic year. The total allocation for the 2001-02 academic year was €1.2 million, with 37 partnerships and community groups receiving allocations from the fund. For 2002-03, I increased the provision for the fund to €2 million and 50 area partnerships and community groups have received allocations.

I have also given approval for the establishment of the national office for equity of access to higher education, within the Higher Education Authority, a key recommendation of the action group. I anticipate that the national office will facilitate the aim of increasing third level access by the three target groups, in partnership with my Department, the third level institutions and other stakeholders and agencies. Financial support is also available to students, in approved third level institutions, through the student assistance-access fund which assists students who might, due to their financial circumstances, be unable to continue their third level studies. €8.9 million was allocated from this fund in 2002, in respect of the 2002-03 academic year. The under-representation of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds in the higher education system remains unacceptable. It was against this background that, last autumn, I requested my Department to undertake a review of student support provisions with the objective of ensuring that the benefits of the substantial investment being made in this area by the taxpayer are maximised.

Question No. 255 answered with Question No. 253.

Question No. 256 answered with Question No. 234.