Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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Question 207: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of third level students that have been affected by the reduction of the non-adjacent rate of the maintenance grant; and the estimated amount that the Exchequer will save in 2011 and 2012 from this reduction if it remains in place. [26942/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Some 18,000 students qualifying for grant support are estimated to live between 24 kms and 45 kms from their colleges and it is estimated that some 6,900 mature students qualifying for grant support live 45 kilometres or less from their institution.

Students qualifying for the maintenance element of the student grant in these cohorts will receive the adjacent rate of grant together with payment of their fees or student contribution. Those on particularly low incomes will also continue to receive a "top-up" in the special rate of grant. In addition, third level students in difficult financial circumstances will have access to the Student Assistance Fund.

The new qualifying distance criterion for the non-adjacent rate of grant is expected to achieve a full year saving of €30 million and removing the automatic eligibility of mature students to the higher non-adjacent rate of grant is expected to achieve a full year saving of €13 million.

As the previous Government had factored in the savings from these changes to the public expenditure programme for 2011, I regret that I am not in a position to reverse or vary them.