Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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627. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to introduce a postgraduate grant in budget 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33993/15]

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 do 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.

As the Deputy will be aware, all proposals made in relation to education expenditure, including changes to postgraduate student grants, will be considered in the context of the Budget 2016.