Vol. 550 No. 4
60 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will report on the operation of the top-up grant scheme for third level students which he set up in 2001; the manner in which this scheme operates; the number of students who have benefited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9188/02]
76 Mr. D'Arcy asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of students who received the top-up higher education grant in 2000 and 2001. [9223/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 76 together.
The report of the action group on access to third level education makes detailed recommendations concerning the introduction of special rates of maintenance grants for disadvantaged students, usually referred to as ‘top-up' grants.
The action group considered that the target group of "those most in need" could best be defined in terms of the child dependants of people receiving long-term welfare payments, in respect of whom continued child dependant allowance is being paid, by virtue of their being in full-time education, that is, child dependants in the age group 18 to 22. The action group recommended that the special rates of maintenance grant should also be available to mature students, that is students aged 23 and over, subject to specific conditions. My Department forwarded full details of this initiative to the local authorities and vocational education committees, in July 2001, with a request that payment be made with effect from the 2000-01 academic year.
Finalised data in relation to both the 2000-01 and 2001-02 academic years on the numbers benefiting under the initiative, and the total expenditure involved, are not available within my Department, as a number of local authorities and vocational education committees have yet to complete the assessment process in respect of students applying for the special rates of maintenance grant.
I have given a commitment that the eligibility criteria for the special rates of maintenance grant will be reviewed with a view to extending eligibility. That review is now under way and a first step will be to assess the coverage and effectiveness of the implementation of the special rates in its first year of operation. In this regard, I have already indicated that the scheme will be extended to ensure that additional, suitably qualifying mature students will benefit from the special rates of maintenance grant.
In relation to psychological services, the national educational psychological service agency, NEPS, currently provides a service to all post-primary schools and approximately 1,800 primary schools. Its first priority must be to expand its service as quickly as possible until all schools have access to it. This service is more than an assessment service, as it includes consultancy work with parents, teachers and school management.
Consideration of specific enhancement projects will be possible after this initial expansion phase has been completed. In the development of its service, NEPS will take account of the numbers of at risk students in each area and will welcome discussions on proposals for addressing areas of particularly great need.
