Vol. 481 No. 4
246 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will provide higher education grants to lone parents, under 23 years of age, not qualified under the mature student scheme residing away from their parents home, attempting to create a family unit for themselves and their child or children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16142/97]
The Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Act, 1992 defines a mature student as a person of not less than 23 years of age on 1 January of the year of entry to an approved institution.
Under the terms of the higher education grants scheme, students who are not mature students within the meaning of the Act, have their entitlement assessed on the basis of their own income and that of their parents or guardians, irrespective of whether the student is living in the parental home. When assessing such students' reckonable income, any payments made to a lone parent by way of the one parent family payment from the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs are disregarded.
Under the existing statutory provisions it is not possible to depart from the present means testing arrangements.
247 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will provide a precise date for the introduction of a grants scheme in view of the fact that the Government in its Action Programme for the Millennium gave a definite commitment to provide grant aid for students attending post leaving certificate courses; if the grants will be available at the same level as those grants to Dublin Institute of Technology students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16143/97]
255 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of students currently enrolled for post-leaving certificate courses; if he will give comparative figures for each of the past five years; and if he will estimate the cost of paying maintenance grants to those currently on post-leaving certificate courses. [16308/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 247 and 255 together.
To provide a means-tested maintenance grant scheme for post-leaving certificate students along the lines of the higher education grant schemes would cost in the order of £13 million per annum. The Govenment's action programme for the New Millennium contains a commitment to provide "equitable support of students attending PLC courses". The commitment in the Programme for Government reflects the importance which the Government attaches to students in the PLC sector. The implementation of this commitment, including the exact timing of the introduction of an appropriate scheme, is under examination at present.
Details are not yet available of the overall number of PLC students enrolled in 1997-98. The numbers in previous years were as follows: 1996-97, 18,712; 1995-96, 17,985; 1994-95, 17,644; 1993-94, 17,677; 1992-93, 17,030.
