Micheál Martin
Ceist:147 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Education the cost to the Exchequer of providing a £500 maintenance grant for each post leaving certificate student in the country. [4537/95]
Written Answers. - PLC Grants.
Micheál Martin
Ceist:148 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Education the cost to the Exchequer of bringing 17,500 post-leaving certificate students within the remit of the higher education scheme. [4538/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 148 together.
Post leaving certificate courses are delivered in schools and colleges which are outside the third level sector and PLC students are not, therefore, eligible for grants under the higher education grants schemes. To provide a grant of £500 for each post leaving certificate student would cost £8.98 million per annum. This cost would have to be borne by the Exchequer in full, as the maximum amount of aid available for the programme from the European Social Fund is already being drawn down on existing expenditure.
To provide maintenance grants on a means-tested basis along the lines of the third level grants schemes would cost approximately £10.8 million per annum. The House will be aware that I have already made available an additional £2 million this year to facilitate the abolition of fees on PLC courses starting in 1995-96.