Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 226: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide special support for independent mature students, who have dependent children, and who from the beginning of the academic year 2011-12 will only receive the adjacent rate grant rather than the non-adjacent rate grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18358/11]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 227: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of independent mature students who will lose the higher rate non-adjacent rate grant from the beginning of the academic year 2011-12; the number of these with dependent children; the saving in total from this change of rules this year; the cost that will be involved if those with dependent children, who lost out due to this rule change, were to be given a special cost of child care allowance of €1,000 per annum for the academic year 2011-12; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18359/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 226 and 227 together.

The change to the student grants scheme to which the Deputy refers - the removal of the automatic entitlement of mature students to the non-adjacent rate of grant - was introduced by his Fianna Fáil – Green Party Government under Budget 2011. It is estimated that some 6,900 mature students qualifying for grant support live 45 kilometres or less from their institution. From September 2011, students qualifying for the maintenance element of the student grant in this cohort will receive the adjacent rate of grant together with payment of their fees or student contribution as appropriate. A full year saving of €13m has been estimated from this measure.

A statistical breakdown for independent mature students with dependent children is not available. The economic circumstances of the country are such that I am not in a position to reverse or vary any of these changes. A costing is not, therefore, available for a child-care allowance for independent mature students.

However, all students, including independent mature students, on particularly low incomes will continue to receive a "top-up" in the special rate of maintenance grant and the Student Assistance Fund at some €5m continues to be made available through the access offices of third-level institutions to assist students in exceptional financial need. In such circumstances, child care costs can be supported under this fund.