Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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118. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress this year with the Student Universal Support Ireland grants service and supports provided by his Department for access programmes in our third level institutions for disadvantaged students; if his Department has had consultations with the teaching colleges to consider offering access programmes specifically to encourage students from disadvantaged backgrounds to train as teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8910/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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My Department recognises the benefit of having teachers from all backgrounds teaching in schools. The National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2008-13 aims to promote and increase access to higher education for under represented groups. A new National Plan is currently being prepared by the National Access Office and will include new targets for participation by under-represented groups across all higher education institutions.

The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a college and university admissions scheme which offers places on reduced points and extra college support to school leavers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The five state funded providers of primary initial teacher education and the majority of the state funded post primary providers of teacher education participate in the HEAR. A number of the other post primary providers operate their own individual access schemes for school leavers.

The Department does not have statistics on how many students training to be teachers came through the scheme. Each college or university taking part in the HEAR scheme has set aside a quota of places on a reduced points basis for students entering through the scheme. This quota is different for each third level institution.

The main financial support available to students attending higher education is my Department's Student Grant Scheme. Under the student grant scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course and meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those which relate to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.