Ms Marian Duggan:

In the technological sector, the profile of the students is such that we have a higher percentage of those from the lower socioeconomic group. In percentage terms, between 60% and 70% of our student population are benefiting from SUSI grants. Increasing grants is important not only in gaining access to higher education per se but also in those maintenance grants enabling students to continue in higher education, and, therefore, reducing the requirement to have to work in order to fund attendance at higher education. To give a direct answer to the Senator’s question, reform of the SUSI grant needs to be of direct benefit to the student and to higher education.