Micheál Martin
Ceist:97 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Education if she will provide maintenance grants for post-leaving certificate students from January 1996 onwards. [18712/95]
Written Answers. - Education Grants.
The Deputy will be aware that I provided £2 million this year to facilitate the abolition of fees on these courses with effect from 1995-96.
I am sure the House will appreciate the need to strike a balance between competing demands for resources in the education sector — between funding for the different levels of the system, between initial and second chance education, between student supports, investment in quality assurance, and special measures to combat disadvantage and under achievement.
In the case of PLC courses my policy priorities to date have focused on improving the quality of the system, through investment in national certification and assessment arrangements, in programme development, in inservice training, and in ensuring that courses continue to be available in a wide range of disciplines for as many students as possible.
A means-tested maintenance grants scheme for students on post leaving certificate courses would cost in excess of £9 million per annum.