Vol. 568 No. 1
93 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Dublin has the second lowest participation rate in third level education of any county in the State and is well behind other EU capitals in access to third level education. [16003/03]
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 to 2006, 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 the main recommendations in the report: special rates of maintenance grants, usually referred to as top-up grants, payable to disadvantaged grant holders, were introduced with effect from the 2000 to 2001 academic year and the annual income threshold for the special rates was increased by 32% for 2002 to 2003. I also increased the special rate of grant to €4,000 for non-adjacent grant holders. The number of students qualifying for the top-up grant in 2002 to 2003 has more than doubled to some 7,500 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. The total allocation for the 2001 to 2002 academic year was €1.2 million. For 2002 to 2003, I increased the provision for the fund to €2 million and some 50 area partnerships and community groups have received allocations.
I anticipate that the national office for equity of access will be in operation prior to the start of the coming academic year and that it 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 stake holders and agencies. The student assistance fund assists students who, due to their financial circumstances, might be unable to continue their third level studies. Some €8.9 million was allocated from this fund in 2002 in respect of the 2002 to 2003 academic year.
I have already advised the House of the measures which I announced on 25 May, costing €42 million in a full year, to address the problem of disadvantage in third level education. This package of measures will be the catalyst that enables students from disadvantaged backgrounds to reach their full potential in the education system, and in their subsequent careers.
While I realise that the figures go back to 1998, they are the only figures from which we can work. On that basis, why is Dublin the second lowest? The lowest is Donegal and one could argue that there are problems there with regard to access to education, transport and so forth. However, in Dublin there is access to transport. Is it, as Deputy O'Sullivan suggests, an issue of encouraging people into third level education and encouraging students to visit universities? According to the figures, there has been a decline in participation in Dublin. Why Dublin? In other cities and urban areas there is an increase in the number of people attending third level. Why is that not happening in Dublin? It is a fair question.
The figures also suggest that Dublin has the lowest percentage of entrants to third level education receiving means-tested financial aid and the highest rate of social class inequality. Why? The Minister referred to the action report. Few of the 80 recommendations have been implemented. When will they be implemented? One key recommendation was that there be further development and more support for guidance counsellors. That was also a recommendation of the Dublin employment pact. Will the Minister recruit more counsellors to encourage young people into third level education? The Minister spoke about means testing, payments and so forth. One of the recommendations is that this function be transferred to the Department of Social and Family Affairs. Is there any movement on that?
Why is Dublin second lowest in the scale? There are all sorts of excuses for rural areas, such as access, transport and so forth. However, many of the main universities are located in Dublin but Dublin people are being denied access to them.
I accept the Deputy's sincerity in asking that question. I do not have a straightforward answer. It is only in certain areas of Dublin where the figures are as low as 5% for participation in third level education. These are, generally, the large, working class, disadvantaged areas of Dublin. Their participation rates of 5% are dragging down the overall average for Dublin.
This brings us back to the issue of socioeconomic disadvantage. There are areas in Dublin where, in generations of families, only some members might have got past primary level and few of them reach leaving certificate level. Other data and surveys show that participation depends on one's postal district in Dublin. Some areas of Dublin have 77% participation levels, which is way above the level for other counties. It is all explained by social class, financial background and so on. There are serious problems with disadvantage.
I welcome the interest people have started to take in disadvantage and in disadvantage in education. If they think, however, that we will resolve the problem of educational disadvantage without upsetting some people, usually well-off people, we are going nowhere. If there is a closure of ranks behind the middle and upper middle classes and the wealthy in this country every time we try to tackle disadvantage and redistribute wealth, we will not make much progress over the next four or five years. Given the views that have been expressed regarding a commitment to disadvantage in education, I hope the next time we try to do something about it a few more voices will be raised in support in this House.
What the Minister was doing was not going to do anything about disadvantage. The Minister is being disingenuous.
