Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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166. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will top-up the existing student assistance fund, as has been the case for the previous two years, in view of the housing crisis, and the fact that this fund is under continuing strain from needy students across the country, and that most higher education institutions have almost expended their budget, in the first semester; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8445/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Student Assistance Fund is a component of the Third Level Access Measure which is managed on behalf of my Department by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and comprises two sub-priorities: the Student Assistance Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities. The Student Assistance Fund is administered on a local basis by participating higher education institutions and targets those students most in need. The overall allocation to both these funds in the 2014-15 academic year is €15.5m – the same as in 2013-14. The determination of the allocation of this fund between the two sub-priorities is a matter for the HEA and involves balancing the needs of students with disabilities for reasonable accommodations with that of students in more general, financial need. While the overall Third Level Access Measure has remained stable, a rising demand by both students with disabilities and those in need of Student Assistance Funding has had to be accommodated within this. Both the HEA and overall education budget have been fully committed for the current academic year. The matter of whether there is scope to increase the overall Third Level Access Measure in the next academic year will be revisited as part of the budgetary process for 2015-16 academic year. This year the HEA also plan to commission an independent review of policy, guidelines and practice in relation to the Student Assistance Fund.