Dáil debates

Wednesday, 10 February 2010

10:00 pm

Photo of Michael D HigginsMichael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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I am very happy the Minister of State is here to reply but I must say how disappointed I am that the Minister for Education and Science or the Minister with responsibility did not find it worthwhile to remain in the House to reply in so far as both voted a few minutes ago on the Finance Bill.

I feel I should speak very straight about this. The matter I raise calls into question whether words mean anything. In the debates on the budget and the Finance Bill I heard the suggestion that those who have lost their jobs, those who are unemployed, in particular young people of whom one in three is out of work, are to be encouraged to go back to education. This is the greatest hypocrisy I could possibly instance.

I am speaking about the back to education allowance. The way it worked was that a person going on an access course had to be on the jobseeker's allowance. That was one hoop through which a person had to jump. In addition, the back to education allowance was means tested. The group to which I refer have qualified under both hoops, are in third level and their allowances will continue. People in the future will only receive one allowance. There are a group of people already on an access course and who went through both tests in the clear understanding that these allowances would enable them to return to education and they have been cut off arbitrarily.

The policy seems to be that while they are welcomed back to education, they will have to pick themselves up and make sure they are ready to go back, which is why they are being asked to go through an access course and make sure they will be able to stay in a college - the case to which I refer concerns the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. When they are on the access course the rug is pulled from under them and they are told they will not receive the back to education allowance. That is happening and it is why a great number of the people concerned sent me a signed letter saying they understood the difficulties in the economy - they put it much more politely than I am. I am putting it rather bluntly because I am sick and tired of the hypocrisy of suggesting that we are asking people to return to education when obstacles are being placed in their way. The people concerned asked, politely and simply, if those in mid-stream could be allowed to get that which they expected. That is not on offer.

Last year 30,000 young people who wanted to take post leaving certificate courses were turned away. This year two people will apply for every place available in a third level college. We are constantly hearing the notion that we are encouraging people to return to education. Some people on the list I have in front of me are tradespeople. The Minister of State, who is here as a proxy, is from the west and knows that the largest number of males who are unemployed are young construction workers who want to return to education and are having their allowances cut. I do not want a long rigmarole from the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Hanafin, or anybody else.

The issue of jobseekers allowance is interesting. If a person was not on a contract but a company wanted to string him or her along by saying it might have more hours for him or her, on that basis, the Department of Social and Family Affairs could refuse a young person the right to return to education, something which happened this week. Let us be honest. If the Government says it is in favour of young people being driven onto the live register and reducing the minimum wage, and saying it is going through the motions, people should be exposed on it. However, the group of people to which I refer are on an access course in the expectation that they were entitled to both allowances. One allowance was arbitrarily withdrawn while they were on the access course. This is scandalous. I know a lot about this issue.

This evening the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy O'Keeffe, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Hanafin and the Minister of State with responsibility for this area were in the Chamber and left after voting on the Finance Bill. I hope the young people to which I refer and every other young person calls the bluff of this Government.

Photo of Michael FinneranMichael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy O'Keeffe. I thank the Deputy for giving me this opportunity to outline the position of the Department of Education and Science regarding changes announced in the budget to student maintenance grants for those also availing of the back to education allowance scheme.

I am pleased to inform the house that the Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students: the higher education grants scheme; the vocational education committees scholarship scheme; the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees; and the maintenance grant scheme for students attending post leaving certificate courses. The higher education grants scheme is administered by the local authorities. The other three schemes are administered by the vocational education committees. Under the terms of the maintenance grant schemes, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, means and previous academic attainment.

The back to education allowance is a second chance education opportunities scheme designed to encourage and facilitate people on certain social welfare payments to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the workforce. Eligibility for the back to education allowance and associated payments is determined and administered by the Department of Social and Family Affairs and is primarily a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Hanafin.

The Deputy will appreciate that in the context of the current economic circumstances difficult choices had to be made by Government in order to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long term. It was decided to discontinue the practice of allowing students to hold the BTEA or VTOS allowance and a student maintenance grant simultaneously as this represents a duplication of income support payments. From September 2010, as announced in the budget, all new applicants who are in receipt of the back to education allowance for all schemes and the VTOS allowances for those pursuing PLC courses will be ineligible for student maintenance grants. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the cost of the student services charge and any fees payable to colleges will continue to be met, for eligible students, by the Exchequer on their behalf. Students should apply to their assessing authority to have their eligibility assessed.

As the Deputy will be aware, students currently in receipt of the BTEA are not automatically entitled to a maintenance grant.

Photo of Michael D HigginsMichael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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I said that in my presentation.

Photo of Michael FinneranMichael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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However, all students, including mature students, currently in receipt of the BTEA or VTOS allowances and the maintenance grant will continue to be eligible for both payments for the duration of their current course provided, of course, that they continue to meet the terms and conditions of the schemes. Students progressing to a new course, with effect from the 2010-11 academic year, will no longer be eligible for student maintenance grants in addition to BTEA or VTOS support, but can apply for assistance under the student grant schemes towards the cost of the student services charge and any fees payable. Apart from the maintenance grants schemes and the free fees initiative, financial support is also available to all students, including mature students, in approved third level institutions, through the student assistance fund.

Photo of Michael D HigginsMichael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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In the second year.

Photo of Michael FinneranMichael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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The objective of the fund is to assist students in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise, due to their financial circumstances, be unable to continue their third level studies. Information on the fund is available from the access officer at a candidate's college. I again thank the Deputy for raising this matter.

Photo of Michael D HigginsMichael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State.