Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 230: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of full-time third level students in 2004-05; the number of part-time third level students; the number of mature students in each category; the Government's policy on mature students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12651/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The most recent finalised data collected by my Department on participation in third level education — 2003-2004 — indicates that there are currently 143,271 full-time, undergraduate and postgraduate, and 34,168 part-time students enrolled in all third level institutions, aided and non-aided, in the State. The data also indicates that 10% of full-time new entrants, that is 4,216 out of 38,835 new enrolments in 2004-05 in all higher education institutions are mature students.

Data on the age profile of part-time students for the academic year in question is not currently available, though plans are in place to develop collection systems by the Higher Education Authority, HEA.

It has been long-standing Government policy to increase the number of mature students participating in higher education and to support life-long learning. For example, participation by mature students has almost doubled over the past ten years which reflects the increased support being made available to a number of higher education institutions through the HEA strategic initiative fund.

Some €40 million has been invested in developing third level access programmes and associated student support structures. Furthermore, a national action plan 2005-2007 to achieve equity of access to higher education was published in December 2004. This plan, which has been developed by the National Office for Equity of Access to Higher Education, identifies a number of key goals and actions over the next three years to achieve greater equity of access to higher education for groups currently under-represented in the sector. This includes mature students as well as other groups such as persons with a disability, socio-economically disadvantaged school-leavers, members of the Traveller community and ethnic minority groups.

One of the key goals in this action plan is, through an evaluation of existing access programmes, to develop and implement a national framework of policies, initiatives and successful partnerships to widen access and to support the subsequent participation of all under-represented groups in higher education, including mature students. This will include arrangements so that all disadvantaged regions, schools and communities are linked to access activities and programmes in at least one higher education institution in their region.