Written answers
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Department of Education and Skills
Higher Education Grants
7:00 pm
James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 66: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a full grant of â¬6,100 to a person (details supplied) in County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29032/11]
Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I regret that the economic circumstances of the country are such that I am not in a position to reverse or alter any of the changes to the student grant measures announced in Budget 2011 by the previous Fianna Fáil - Green Party Government. These changes included an increase in the qualifying distance criterion for the non-adjacent rate of grant from 24 kilometres to 45 kilometres.
The measurement of the distance from a student's home to college for student grant purposes is a matter for the relevant grant awarding body - the local authority or VEC where the student is ordinarily resident. It remains the case that the shortest most direct route to the institution attended is measured. No appeal appears to have been received in this case either by my Department or the Student Grant Appeals Board.
Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Question 67: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason he is insisting on using old congested routes for examining the qualifying distance applicable when assessing whether an applicant qualifies for a higher education grant at the non-adjacent rate; his views that students should use the best route available to them when travelling to college; the reason he is insisting that students use old congested routes and avoid motorways; whether this a policy that he has set or should officials when deciding on the distance to be used be allowed to consider not only the shortest route but also the best route to avoid extra traffic build up on unsuitable routes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29039/11]
Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The measurement of the distances for student grant purposes is a matter for grant awarding bodies - the relevant local authority or VEC. There has been no change as to how these distances are measured. As in the past for all cases, the shortest most direct route to the institution attended is measured. I understand that a range of mechanisms can be used, for example, online mapping such as AA Route Planner and Google Maps. If the distance is disputed, the matter should be taken up with the grant awarding body concerned. In some cases, it may be necessary to carry out a physical measurement.
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