Vol. 415 No. 9
29 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education the number of students in regional technical colleges and Dublin Institute of Technology Colleges who currently receive ESF grants; if he will outline the saving to the Exchequer which will result from the changes announced by him in higher education grants for the years 1992 and 1993.
There are currently 19,600 students in receipt of ESF grants attending courses in the regional technical colleges and the Dublin Institute of Technology Colleges. A further 2,600 students are attending these same courses. However, as the approved limit of ESF support was reached with an enrolment of 19,600 students the full cost of these 2,600 students are met by the State at a cost of approximately £9.8 million.
The improvements in the higher education grants scheme recently announced by my predecessor will not result in any savings for the Exchequer. On the contrary while there are no cost implications for 1992, improvements will cost £1.01 million in 1993 rising to £4 million approximately by 1996.
As already announced, the following improvements on income limits are being introduced: (a) the income eligibility ceiling for families will be increased by £2,000 for each child after the first child attending third level education; (b) income eligibility will be assessed on income and income limits in the year of entering to third level rather than as heretofore, on the income limits in the year in which the student sat the leaving certificate; (c) mature students may be assessed on the basis of their own incomes, and, if married, their spouses' incomes, rather than on their parents' income which has been the case up to now; (d) lone parents welfare payments under the lone parents allowance scheme will be excluded from the assessment of income for grant eligibility and (f) income limits and maintenance grants will be index linked in 1992.
