Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 191: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the level of State support, if any, provided to third level colleges providing the course in contemporary living for young adults with intellectual disabilities; the number of students pursuing this course at third level institutions; if he will consider extending the scope of the third level grant scheme to cover this course; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41312/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Under the Strategic Innovation Fund operated by the Higher Education Authority, the state provided €705,054 to Trinity College Dublin (TCD) during the period 2008-2011 in respect of the Centre for Contemporary Living. This funding award ended in 2011 and given the current budgetary situation, there are no plans for any new funding awards under this Fund.

At present, there are 34 students enrolled on the Certificate for Contemporary Living in TCD ( 15 in Year 1; 19 in Year 2). The full programme is only available in TCD. However, pilot modules from the Certificate were rolled out to other higher education institutions including UCC, DKIT, MIC & WIT with SIF support. In all over recent years, approximately 95 students benefited from these modules.

Unfortunately, this course does not meet the criteria for my Department's maintenance grants schemes and therefore cannot be considered for inclusion at this time.