Vol. 448 No. 6
143 Mr. Kenneally asked the Minister for Education the plans, if any, she has to change the fifteen mile limit which governs the level of ESF grant paid to students, bearing in mind that it can often be easier to get to a college from thirty miles away than ten miles away, depending on whether transport is available or not; if her attention has been drawn to the hardship this is causing in some cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2576/95]
Under the terms of the higher education and ESF grant schemes the adjacent rate of maintenance is paid without exception to every grant-holder whose normal family residence is less than 15 miles from the college attended. It is also payable in the case of any grant-holder whose normal family residence is 15 miles or more from the college attended who could reasonably be expected, in the light of distance and the convenience of local public transport services, to travel daily.
The non-adjacent rate of maintenance grant is payable in all other cases. I have no plans at present to review the criteria relating to the adjacent and non-adjacent rate of maintenance grant.
