Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 1586: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the recent campaign by the Union of Students in Ireland, 12 days 12 Ways to Improve Third Level Education; if she will ensure all the issues are examined by her Department officials; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1724/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am aware of the campaign referred to by the Deputy and I wish to stress that the Government and I are committed to continually improving our higher education sector.

Higher education in Ireland has come through a period of major expansion. More than 30,000 new third level places have been created since this Government took Office in 1997 and there are now some 168,000 students in the system. The most recent participation study confirms the continuing trend. It shows that the national admission rate was 55% in 2004, up from 44% in 1998. Overall investment in the sector on a per annum basis has more than doubled over that period. This now stands at some €1.9 billion for this year.

Support for reform and development at third level and the creation of world class excellence at fourth level are now central Government priorities. The new National Development Plan 2007-2013, which was announced recently, recognises the critical role of higher education in the national innovation system that will be the basis of Ireland's economic and social development. The Plan identifies the full funding of the sector — over €13 billion through the period — as a key strategic investment under the Plan.

The ongoing development and expansion of the sector under the Plan will be supported by enhanced investments in the development of campus infrastructure — with an almost €2 billion dedicated building programme — and through further support for the programme of reform and development that is underway in the sector. Over €510 million has been provided under an extended Strategic Innovation Fund, which will support institutional reforms, promote innovations in teaching and learning, widen access and enable the development of world class Fourth level activity.

As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have also been made by this Government in both the income limits and the payment levels for third level grants. This year I announced increases of 3% in the ordinary maintenance grant to give a maximum grant of €3,110 in the 2006/07 academic year. In addition, the reckonable income limits for ordinary maintenance grants have been increased by 5.3% for the 2006/07 academic year. The top limit for grant eligibility where there are less than four dependent children has been increased from €44,350 to €46,700.

Special Rates of Maintenance Grant, sometimes referred to as "top-up" grants, payable to disadvantaged grant holders, were introduced with effect from the 2000/01 academic year. This year's schemes are giving particular priority to addressing inequities in participation of students from the lower socio-economic groups through both rate and threshold increases in the Special Rates of Maintenance Grant. The annual income threshold in 2006/07 for the special rate of grant has been increased by 7.18% to €16,748. The maximum rate of the "top-up" grant has been increased by some 22.5% bringing the adjacent grant rate to €2,390 and the non-adjacent grant rate to €5,970.

The targeted investments that this Government is now making in our higher education infrastructure, in promoting excellence through system wide collaboration and change, in widening access and in creating a vibrant fourth level sector is a clear demonstration of this Government's support for the higher education sector.