Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 225: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the fact that students who reside long distances from third level institutions are financially disadvantaged by virtue of travelling expenses compared with those residing in close proximity to college campuses; if this was considered in the decision to withhold maintenance funding from students on back to education allowance; the steps she will take to address this inequality of opportunity for students from Wexford and from other counties without ready access to the full range of third level courses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31970/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Student grants are payable to eligible students at either what is known as an adjacent or a non-adjacent rate. These rates of grant take into consideration that additional expenses may accrue for students whose home address is a significant distance from the institution they attend.

The adjacent rate of grant, which ranges from €330 to €2,680 depending on individual circumstances, is payable where a student's normal residence is 24 Kilometres or less from the college which he/she is attending. The non-adjacent rate of grant, which ranges from €810 to €6,355 again, depending on individual circumstances, is payable in all other cases.

Students in need of extra help due to particular financial circumstances may apply to the Access Officer in their institution for support from the Student Assistance Fund.

In the last Budget, a decision was taken to discontinue the practice of allowing students progressing to a new course to hold both the BTEA 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. However, the cost of the student services charge and any fees payable to colleges for the students concerned will continue to be met for these students by the Exchequer, subject to the means test and other grant eligibility requirements.

Students currently in receipt of the BTEA 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.

The BTEA is a Department of Social Protection second-chance education opportunities scheme designed to encourage and facilitate people on certain social welfare payments to improve their skills and qualifications and therefore, their prospects of returning to the workforce. Eligibility for, and the payment structure of the BTEA is determined and administered by the Department of Social Protection and is primarily a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Social protection.