Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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240. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of restoring postgraduate maintenance grants in 2016 at the level which previously applied prior to their abolition; the cost of a 50% restoration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33912/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Due to economic circumstances, a number of difficult expenditure reduction measures were taken in recent budgets. A decision in Budget 2012 has meant that new students entering postgraduate courses from the 2012/13 academic year onwards are not entitled to maintenance payments under the Student Grant Scheme, but may qualify in some circumstances for limited fee support.

Those who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant under the Student Grant Scheme are eligible to have their post-graduate tuition fees paid up to the maximum fee limit of €6,270. Alternatively, a postgraduate student may qualify to have a €2,000 contribution made towards the cost of their fees. The income threshold for this payment is €31,500 for the 2015/16 academic year, increasing relative to the number of family dependents.

If the Budget 2012 decision was reversed and the income thresholds increased to bring them into line with those for undergraduate students, then the potential cost is estimated to be in the region of €47m. Based on this figure, the cost of a 50% restoration of the grant would be approximately €24m. This costing assumes that the number of post-graduate grant holders will increase to the level prior to the introduction of this Budget measure.