Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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70. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the maintenance grant for postgraduate students will be restored. [44856/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware of the Action Plan for Education commitment to increase financial supports for postgraduate students with a particular focus on those from low income households.

In response to this commitment, additional funding of €4 million was secured in Budget 2017, to facilitate the reinstatement of full maintenance grants, from this September, for the most disadvantaged postgraduate students. This will benefit approximately 1,100 post graduate students who meet the eligibility criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant.

The €4 million will cover the cost of this measure in 2017 and has been added to the baseline for future years. A further €3 million was secured in Budget 2018, to meet the rolling cost of the implementation of this measure.