Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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13. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the method used to calculate commuting distance for the SUSI adjacency grant eligibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56002/25]

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I compliment the recent changes made by the Minister in the budget to increase the income thresholds for the SUSI support and to put more families in a position to get the SUSI grant.

Will the Minister's Department review the method used to calculate commuting distances for the SUSI adjacency grant eligibility?

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. I am conscious of the cost pressures on students who must pay for student accommodation or those who commute. Some may decide to commute instead and that is equally arduous because of the costs and time associated with that.

The grant scheme recognised this by increasing the amounts available this year for non-adjacent students. In recent times, the non-adjacency distance has also been reduced from 45 km to 30 km. That is a progressive move that will bring more people into the non-adjacent net and they can then receive additional supports as a result. SUSI calculates the distance by measuring the shortest, most direct route from the applicant's normal residence to the higher education institution. It uses Google Maps to do it and uses the time of 1 a.m. The reason it is done at night is that Google Maps, as we know, can direct us through all kinds of weird and wonderful routes, depending on traffic patterns or congestion at different times or accidents. The simplest way to get an as-the-crow-flies reading is to do a 1 a.m. calculation using Google Maps from the home to the college. That is how it is calculated.

That method is universally applied across the board. I appreciate there are always going to be edge cases and hard cases but the method is applied equally and universally on the basis of fairness to all students. I have mentioned the additional increases in the maintenance grants for non-adjacent students and the fact the range was recently reduced to 30 km.

I appreciate this is always going to be a challenge. It is one of the reasons we are pursuing the student accommodation strategy so vigorously. There have also been measures like the student Leap card discounts on public transport in recent years, which I also highly support.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the fact the Minister has outlined a method that prioritises being fair, whereby we give every option to ensure the detail is clear for the family about having that non-adjacent categorisation. There is one thing we should examine, namely, the household income threshold. This should reflect in some way the institution the student wishes to attend. If we take my own example, I am fortunate to live in Galway city and my children have a wide range of options to attend third level education on our doorstep through University of Galway and HEU. However, for somebody who might live beyond the 30 km radius in Connemara, on the Aran Islands or in some part of west Mayo or the midlands, the cost of attending education for that family and the child is more significant than it is for my children, yet my household income is assessed in the same way as the household income of that family. We should look at income thresholds in that respect.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy makes an interesting point. The income thresholds have increased this year to €120,000 so Members of the Oireachtas would qualify for SUSI support, which I think may be a first. It is at a significant level and it has certainly gone beyond those who may be at risk of poverty or are on lower incomes. They rightly receive more support but up to €120,000, families are now in receipt of SUSI supports, which is very progressive and is the highest it has ever been.

Regarding regional balance, which I think the Deputy alluded to in his question on students who may be attending other institutions and may incur greater costs, one of the things I am exploring in this budget, and I have set aside some money for a pilot, is the cost of placements. This might include a Gaeltacht placement, for example, on some courses or placements in healthcare institutions, as well as equipment purchases if a student has to purchase laboratory equipment, a uniform or other items. I have commissioned a pilot and have committed moneys to it in the current year to see what exactly could be helped in that regard, what courses need what supports on a custom basis and how we can do something that is fair and uniform. We can then develop that further in subsequent budgets once we have teased that out.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome that. Again, it contributes to the impression I have of the Minister in terms of innovation and what he is bringing to this Department to make sure more people can access third level education and that no opportunity is denied.

To reiterate, there is some inequity in that household income is assessed irrespective of a student's adjacency or proximity to the third level institution. That is something we can look at it. We must recognise it is going to cost some people more . I acknowledge that we recognise that in the provision of the grant, and I fully welcome what the Minister has outlined about increasing the income threshold and the grant this year. That is all very progressive and I hope we continue in that vein, but there is something worth examining in the household income threshold for me in comparison with somebody who does not live as near to a third level institution.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is right; the cost will increase. The non-adjacent grant is greater for that reason. A student will receive more significant support if they live farther away from the college and it begins to taper down the closer they live to the college to reflect the fact they may not require accommodation or that their transport costs may be less if they live adjacent to the college. All the non-adjacent bands increased this year for that reason, to reflect the reality that it is going to be more expensive if a student is required to travel to their institution.

The Deputy has made good points and I am happy to take them on board. I will continue to do so as we consider all these measures.