Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a breakdown of the way the student assistant fund was distributed across higher education institutions, in tabular form, for the most recent academic year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56914/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The attached table provides a breakdown of the distribution of the allocation of funding under the Student Assistance Fund for the 2011/12 academic year. This data has been supplied to my Department by the Higher Education Authority.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if safeguards will be put in place to maintain the student assistant fund after 2013 when the funding from the European Social Fund under the Human Capital Investment Operational Programme ceases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56915/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The objective of the Student Assistance Fund is to assist students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise, due to their financial circumstances, be unable to continue their third level studies. The Fund is managed by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of my Department and is funded under the National Development Plan, with assistance from the European Social Fund.

No decisions have yet been taken on the amount that will be allocated to Ireland or the programmes to be funded in the next round of EU Structural Funds for the period 2014-2020. I have no plans at present to discontinue the Student Assistance Fund.