Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

104. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of decreasing the non-adjacent rate of third level grants from 45 to 24 kilometres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40885/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The cost of reversing the change to the adjacent rate of the Student Grant, reducing it from 45 kilometres to 24 kilometres; is estimated to be in the region of €25m. This calculation is based on student grant holders for the academic year 2016/17.

Prior to the introduction of the 45 km rule, circa three-quarters of all maintenance grant holders qualified for the higher non-adjacent grant support. The above costing assumes that a change to the 24 km rule will result in a similar number of students qualifying for the higher non-adjacent grant support.