Vol. 567 No. 1
251 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science if his Department will continue to fund the millennium fund for disadvan tage, third level support scheme, administered by ADM, into the next academic year. [13642/03]
252 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science if, in view of the success of the millennium fund for disadvantage, third level support scheme, his Department will increase funding to this scheme to account for new students and the continued support of students who are already on the scheme. [13643/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 251 and 252 together.
There is a provision within the national development plan for a third level access fund totalling almost €121 million over the period 2000 to 2006, to tackle disadvantage at third level. The millennium partnership fund for disadvantage, which was introduced with effect from 2001, is one of the initiatives in place to promote equity in access.
The fund provides assistance to partnership companies and community groups to develop their support schemes for students from disadvantaged families. Area Development Management Limit, ADM, under whose aegis the partnerships operate, administered the fund for both the 2001-02 and 2002-03 academic year. The total allocation for the 2001-02 academic year was €1.2 million. I increased the provision for the 2002-03 academic year to €2 million.
The report of the action group on access to third level education sets out a co-ordinated framework of actions required to improve equity of access to third level. The group considered that a single co-ordinating body was essential in order to realise the framework. Accordingly, a key recommendation of the group was that a national office for equity of access to higher education be established to ensure the effective implementation of many of the recommendations in the report.
I have given approval for the establishment of the national office, within the Higher Education Authority. My Department is engaged in discussions with the Higher Education Authority with a view to bringing the national office into operation in time for the academic year 2003-04. I anticipate that the national office will facilitate the aim of increasing third level access by the target groups, in partnership with my Department, the third level institutions and other stakeholders and agencies.
