Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 3 Nov 1999

Vol. 510 No. 1

Written Answers. - Student Support Schemes.

Ivan Yates

Ceist:

144 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Education and Science the proposals, if any, he has to ensure that the recent campaign by the Union of Students of Ireland for teacher training students will be responded to through preventing any further registration fee increases, increasing the level of threshold for maintenance grants as well as increasing the grants themselves and providing proper on-campus accommodation in order that they do not have to pay exorbitant costs for accommodation; if the basic facilities at St. Patrick's Teacher Training College in Drumcondra and Mary Immaculate Teacher Training College in Limerick will be expanded in order that proper buildings instead of pre-fabs be provided for the current actual student numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21963/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

I have previously outlined my response to the issues raised by the Union of Students in Ireland in the context of their 1999 pre-budget submission.

The standardised charge for examinations, registration and student services was levied by the third level colleges levied in the context of the free fees initiative in the 1995-96 academic year. This charge is £278 for the current year and I would point out to the Deputy that students who are eligible for maintenance grants under the means tested student support schemes do not have to pay this charge. I believe that the effect of the charge has been to provide a sounder and more secure funding base for the services covered. I am concerned to ensure that the level of the services provided fully reflects the amount charged and my officials are in discussions with the Higher Education Authority and the universities in this regard. I am also concerned that appropriate systems of consultation and accountability in the allocation of funding from the charge and in the determination of student services to be funded apply in all third level colleges. I understand that the Higher Education Authority's review of the consultative and decision making procedures in place in the various third level colleges in this regard, will be finalised shortly.

On the question of maintenance grants, my approach has been to follow the practice in recent years and increase the reckonable income limits in line with movements in the average industrial wage in the previous year. Similarly, in relation to the value of the grant, I have followed the practice of recent years and increased 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. I have indicated previously, in relation to the student support schemes, that my priority is to remove anomalies in the schemes. In particular, I have honoured the commitment in the programme for Government, An Action Programme for the Millennium, to the introduction of equitable support for students attending post leaving certificate courses. A maintenance grants scheme for students attending PLC courses was introduced with effect from the 1998-99 academic year.

I have also addressed the position of mature students in general and independent mature students in particular, under the student support schemes. The rate of maintenance grant payable is determined by reference to the distance from the student's normal residence to the college which he or she is attending. In the case of independent mature students, their normal residence is taken as their address while in attendance at college. Accordingly, a large proportion of independent mature students only qualified for the lower adjacent rate of grant. With effect from the current academic year, all eligible mature students will qualify for the higher non-adjacent rate of maintenance grant at an estimated cost of £2.4 million over the next two years.

The introduction of the special tax incentives to encourage the provision of student rented residential accommodation in this year's Finance Act, will encourage the provision of on and near campus accommodation. The provision of on-campus accommodation is on-going in the third level sector. On-campus accommodation for seven hundred students is expected to be completed well in advance of the next academic year at the Galway campus of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology while approval for on-campus accommodation in respect of 450 bed spaces has been sanctioned by the University of Limerick.

I am aware that there has been an increased intake by the colleges in the teacher education sector as a result of the growing needs in this area. Both of the colleges mentioned by the Deputy have submitted capital development plans which are being actively considered by my Department.