Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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93. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated full year cost of restoring postgraduate grants to 2011 levels. [19427/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware of the Programme for Government commitment to increase financial supports for post graduate 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 and a further €3 million in Budget 2018, to facilitate the reinstatement of full maintenance grants, from September 2017, for the most disadvantaged post graduate students.

This will benefit approximately 1,100 of the most disadvantaged post graduate students who meet the eligibility criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant, from September 2017, and it reverses the budgetary cut that was imposed on this cohort of students in 2012.

However, if the maintenance grants and eligibility for full fees were reintroduced for post-graduate students, the total estimated cost would be approximately €40m. This is additional to the €7 million secured in Budgets 2017 & 2018.

This costing assumes that the actual number of post graduate grant holders (2,141 in 2016/17) will increase to the level prior to the introduction of the 2012 Budget measure (6,027 students). It also assumes that students will qualify for the higher fee and maintenance grants.

Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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94. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated full year cost of linking student maintenance grants to the CPI. [19428/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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According to the CSO, prices on average, as measured by the CPI, were 0.2% higher in March 2018 compared with March 2017.

In the academic year 2016/2017 the total amount spend on maintenance grants was €170.9m.

Applying a 0.2% increase to the maintenance grant expenditure of €170.9m would increase the cost by €341k.