My approach has been to follow the practice of recent years and increase third level maintenance grants in line with inflation as measured by the change in the consumer price index for the period mid February to mid February each year. The value of the maintenance grant was increased by 1.7 per cent for the 1998-9 academic year to £1,652 at the non-adjacent rate and £600 at the adjacent rate. Also in line with existing practice, I increased the reckonable income limits for the 1998-9 academic year by 3.2 per cent, based on the increase in the average industrial wage for the period March 1996 to March 1997. I also applied this increase to the allowance by which the income limits may increased in respect of other family members pursuing a course of study. The definition of eligible courses in this regard has also been extended.
As the Deputy will be aware some 50 per cent of out third level students are in receipt of maintenance grants. It is my intention to first seek to deal with the more significant anomalies or disincentives in the grants scheme before dealing with the more general issue of grant levels. In this regard, my priority has been to honour the commitment given in the programme for Government, An Action Programme for the Millennium, to introduce equitable support for students attending PLC courses. I have honoured that commitment and introduced a maintenance grants scheme for students attending post leaving certificate courses with effect from the current 1998-9 academic year.
