Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 74: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has plans to ensure that the fund for students with a disability, the student assistance fund and the millennium partnership fund are entitlement based. [34003/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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A key goal of the National Development Plan 2007-13 is to widen participation and increase student and graduate numbers at third level. The Fund for Students with Disabilities, the Student Assistance Fund and the Millennium Partnership Fund, co-financed by the Government and the European Social Fund, form part of the strategy to achieve this goal. The three funding programmes are administered on behalf of my Department by the National Office for Equity of Access to Higher Education (National Access Office), with assistance from Pobal in relation to the Millennium Partnership Fund.

The Fund for Students with Disabilities has increased significantly over the last few academic years. The Fund has grown by approximately 20% per annum. Between 2003-4 and 2006-7 there has been an increase of 63% in the number of applications, reflecting steady improvements in the participation of people with disabilities in further and higher education. In 2006-7 over 2,400 students were approved for gross funding of some €9.986m. The Student Assistance Fund continues to be a vital avenue of financial support for students experiencing particular financial difficulties in third level institutions, assisting with such supports as rent, childcare and food costs. A gross allocation of €6.219m will be made in the current academic year for this fund. 9,886 students benefited from the SAF in 2005-6.

The Millennium Partnership Fund continues to support students from disadvantaged areas with regard to retention and participation in further and higher education. A budget of €1m was made available under the Fund for 2001. The 2006-7 allocation of €2.1m was distributed among 55 Partnerships/community groups around the country. 3,957 students benefited from the Fund in the 2005-6 academic year. There are currently no plans to place the Fund for Students with Disabilities, the Student Assistance Fund or the Millennium Partnership Fund on an entitlement-based footing. Any such change in these supports in the future would require detailed consideration of the full range of issues concerned and would be subject to the availability of resources.

My Department is currently working with the National Access Office and Pobal in relation to the re-orientation of the Millennium Partnership Fund to support the development of a whole-community approach to equity of access to higher education. Community partnerships have been informed and consultations are to start with the partnerships in the New Year. In respect of the Student Assistance Fund, a plan to develop good practice guidelines is currently being implemented by the National Access Office. It is expected that the new guidelines will enhance the effectiveness of this funding programme. The guidelines will be published in the second quarter of 2008, with a view to being implemented for the 2008-9 academic year. As outlined in the current NDP and Towards 2016, these three funds will remain important elements of the Government's overall strategy to alleviate educational disadvantage and to promote social inclusion.