Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties caused by changes made to adjacent and non-adjacent rates of third level grants for some students in areas such as west Cork; his views on a system that awards the grant on a more graduated basis relative to distance from university; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45944/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Under Budget 2011, the qualifying distance criterion for the non-adjacent rate of student grant increased from 24kms to 45kms. The proposal to amend the distance to qualify for the higher non-adjacent rate to 45km took into account a reasonable radius in which students could be expected to commute on a daily basis. There are no plans at present to revise the distance criteria.