Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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112. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has investigated the reason counties with the lowest disposable income have seen a significant drop-off in the number of students availing of a higher education grant; if it is the case that the grant is no longer sufficient to meet the costs for students who cannot commute to college; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25701/15]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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John did extremely well in his leaving certificate examinations and got his first choice on his Central Applications Office form. He was the first member of his family to go to college. He is from County Roscommon and started a computer science course in the Dublin Institute of Technology. However, he had to drop out before Christmas owing to the spiralling rent his landlord was charging for accommodation and the lack of student accommodation in the city of Dublin. He was receiving the highest rate, the additional top-up student support grant, but he could still not afford to remain in college because rents in Dublin city centre are, on average, €600, 100% more than the rent charged for comparable accommodation in the city of Galway. I want to know what will be done about this.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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From my Department's examination of the matter, there is no correlation between where a student is from and his or her likelihood of being awarded a grant. There are a variety of factors which impact on the number of student grant awards in any academic year. They include but are not limited to the number of applications; the numbers transitioning from second to third level; the number of mature students entering the system for the first time or re-entering after a break in study; increases in population in a particular age cohort or area, be it rural or urban; economic circumstances or developments in a particular area; the financial circumstances of individuals and their parents and increases in third level participation rates generally. The aim of the student maintenance grants scheme has always been to make a contribution to the cost of going to college; covering the full cost has never been a feasible option.

I realise from what the Deputy has said that his main problem is with the cost of accommodation. I answered a question on that matter earlier today, but I can contact the Deputy later about it. It is a particular problem in the Dublin area and to some extent in Galway also, but the Government is addressing it.

Table 1

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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It is a broader issue, although accommodation is a problem. Earlier this year the Minister and her colleagues were tripping over one another to welcome the statistics showing that more PAYE families and fewer farm and self-employed families were receiving the higher education grant. What they failed to recognise - the Minister might acknowledge it - was that there was a larger cohort of PAYE workers in cities and a larger cohort of farmers and self-employed persons in rural areas. Will the Minister acknowledge that it is now far more difficult for people living in rural areas to access education in the cities because of the cost of accommodation and the lack of accessible transport? Will she also acknowledge that, despite the fanfare, because there are now more PAYE workers’ sons and daughters accessing higher education grants the overall number in receipt of the grant has dropped, although the number going to college has increased? The proportion of students accessing the grant is smaller.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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There is no discrimination between people living in rural Ireland and urban Ireland in accessing the grants scheme. Someone living in a town or city may still have to pay for accommodation to attend an institute of higher education. It does not apply only to those who live in rural areas. The cost of accommodation is a problem for people in a variety of geographical locations. Despite the economic difficulties, in recent years we have managed to maintain the payment of grants. They were never intended to, nor could they ever, cover all of the cost of going to college. There are funds within the higher education institutions for which students can apply if there is a fear that somebody will drop out through lack of money.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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John did drop out and there are many more like him around the country who are forced into this position because their families cannot afford to keep them in college and pay for accommodation. The higher education grant has been maintained, but the difficulty is that the cost of accommodation is going through the roof and the majority who have to access accommodation are not on bus routes. Bus Éireann is closing many bus routes which is making it even less possible to commute.

They are outside urban centres and major towns where there is access to institutes of technology and have to rely on commuting or residing in Dublin. What we have, effectively, because the higher education grant has not kept in line with the increasing cost of accommodation and going to college is education apartheid by geography. What is the Minister going to do about this?

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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First, there is limited money available. I do not know if the Deputy is proposing that we put increased moneys we receive into student grants when there are other competing interests. For example, people are looking for extra guidance teachers in schools, extra capitation grants and a reduction in class sizes. There are, therefore, many areas where we are under pressure to spend money. We have, by and large, managed to retain the grants scheme, despite the economic downturn, but we will have to make very difficult choices. There is no discrimination in regard to it being a case of rural Ireland versus urban Ireland in terms of access to grants or accommodation. As I said, there are many students who do not live near enough to their college to live at home, whether in urban or rural Ireland. I have already addressed the issue of accommodation. The Deputy knows that the Government has significantly increased the amount of money for housing, on which we made a significant announcement this year, despite the economic difficulties, and will continue to do so. I mentioned the strategic investment fund as one area from which there may be funding available for student accommodation. I have engaged directly with the higher education institutions on their providing student accommodation for their students.