Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 12: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will reverse the recent changes made to the higher education maintenance grant for a person in receipt of back to education allowance in the Budget 2010; the estimated savings of this cutback; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10719/10]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that the current difficult economic circumstances have necessitated tough choices to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In these circumstances, from September 2010, as announced in the Budget, all new applicants who are in receipt of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) and the VTOS allowances for those pursuing PLC courses will be ineligible for student maintenance grants. The cost of the student services charge and any fees payable to colleges will continue to be met for eligible students by the Exchequer on their behalf.

Students currently in receipt of the BTEA or VTOS allowances and the maintenance grant will continue to be eligible for both payments for the duration of their current course provided they continue to meet the terms and conditions of the relevant grant schemes. Students progressing to a new course with effect from 2010/11 will no longer be eligible for student maintenance grants but can apply for assistance towards the cost of the student services charge and any fees payable.

It was decided to discontinue the practice of allowing students to hold both the BTEA or VTOS allowance and a student maintenance grant simultaneously as this represents a duplication of income support payments.

This measure was recommended in the Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes. The estimated saving for the 2010 financial year was €4m with a full financial year saving of some €35m in 2012.