Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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161. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to introduce measures to make it more affordable for student teachers to attend courses in Gaeltacht areas; the changes in supports over the past ten years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40852/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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As part of the Government's budgetary considerations and the Comprehensive Expenditure Review in 2011, a decision was made to abolish the payment of the grants by my Department towards the cost of student teachers' attendance at Gaeltacht courses. The grant of €637 per student per 3 week course was paid directly to the Gaeltacht Colleges by my Department. The decision came into effect for students commencing their programme of primary initial teacher education in the 2012/13 academic year.

The decision to abolish the Gaeltacht Placement grants, from September 2012 was not taken lightly, and has to be viewed in the context of the prevailing requirement to reduce costs and achieve efficiencies where possible. Priority was given to protecting resources for front line education services as far as possible in the coming years, which is especially challenging with rising numbers of school-going children.

To assist with the current costs of the Gaeltacht placement, students who are in receipt of a student grant which includes a 100% fee grant, or who would have qualified for a full fee grant but for the Free Fees Schemes, can apply for funding towards travel and accommodation costs under the field trip element of a fee grant, subject to the normal terms and conditions of the scheme.

Apart from the student grant system, in circumstances of particular need students may apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. Information in relation to this fund is available through the Access Officer in the third level institution attended

My Department does not have the funding available to restore the support. The situation will be kept under review and will be considered again next year in the budgetary context.