Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 12 Jun 2001

Vol. 537 No. 5

Written Answers. - Third Level Grants.

Ulick Burke

Ceist:

113 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will bring all third level maintenance grants to the same level as student nurse maintenance grants, and incorporate a book grant for all third level students. [17081/01]

Under the third level student support schemes administered by the local authorities and the vocational education committees under the aegis of my Department, means-tested maintenance grants are payable to eligible students at either adjacent or non-adjacent rates. For 2000-01, the non-adjacent and adjacent rates of maintenance grant are £1,775 and £710, respectively.

The revised programme for basic pre-registration nurse education and training is funded by the Department of Health and Children.

An increase in the current average annual grant payment to £3,500 would cost an estimated £88 million or about double the current annual expenditure on third level student maintenance grants. Such an increase could only be considered in the light of available resources and other priorities in the education sector.

I announced late last year that I was setting up a special project team to carry out a comprehensive review of every aspect of the maintenance grants and other student supports to ensure their relevance to the needs of present day third level students. This review will include the level of grants, the methods by which they are paid, eligibility and income limits, accommodation needs, student support services, the most suitable paying agency, the provision of an appeals system, student loans and taxation measures.

Issues relating to the implementation of the team's recommendations will be addressed when its report has been completed.

Apart from the maintenance grants schemes and the free fees initiative, under which my Department meets the cost of tuition fees for eligible undergraduate students in approved institutions, financial support is also available to third level students through the student assistance/access fund. The objective of the fund is to assist students who, due to their financial circumstances, might be unable to continue their third level studies. I increased the provision for this fund from £1.296 million in 1999 to £1.8 million in 2000.

There are no plans at present to provide separate grant assistance to third level students specifically to cover the cost of textbooks.

Barr
Roinn