asked the Minister for Education the cost this year and in a full year of increasing the annual maximum maintenance grant under the Higher Education Grants Scheme to £1,000 in the case of students living away from university towns.

It is not feasible from the information available in my Department in relation to the home addresses of students to segregate the costs of grants as between students living away from university towns and those living adjacent to such towns.

The estimated total costs (i) in 1981 and (ii) in respect of the academic year 1981-2 of raising the maximum value of the grant under the Higher Education Grant Scheme from £600 to £1,000 in the case of students living away from university towns and of making a corresponding adjustment from £200 to £400 in the case of students whose homes are in or adjacent to university towns are as follows: (i) £515,000; (ii) £1,545,000.

In view of the wailing we had yesterday from the Minister for the Environment about the lack of finance, is the Minister satisfied that the necessary moneys will be available to him for the purpose of these changes?

I have announced already the introduction of these grants in respect of the coming academic year. By special arrangement the Central Applications Office have reopened applications for a limited period—until July 21—and the scheme will be put into operation in respect of the coming academic year.

In the figures he has given has the Minister taken into account the changes that I made in the academic requirements in the technological area? Are they included in the global figure he has given?

The full cost of including the changes referred to by the Deputy will represent only a very minor aspect of the increased cost.

Would the Minister like to state on what basis he has made the computation he has just given us? At the beginning of his answer he indicated certain difficulties, so it would be helpful if he would indicate the basis on which he made the computation he has just given to the House.

The difficulty I referred to relates to the fact that there is no official statistical data available in the Department which would indicate which students live near to or which live far from university towns. The Deputy will be aware that the claims in respect of these grants are made by the local authorities in bulk form to the Department. That was the difficulty in endeavouring to segregate for the Deputy the difference as between the higher and lower rates of grants. The figures have been compiled on the basis of estimating the number of students who are currently in receipt of maintenance grants and who will have those grants increased by two-thirds as a result of the changes I have announced.

Will the £515,000 that has been mentioned be payable in 1981 or will the refund be made in 1982? Perhaps the Minister would indicate also whether this amount is in addition to £3,600 million that is allocated in the Book of Estimates?

I have explained to the Deputy that the estimated total costs of raising the maximum value of the grants is estimated in respect of 1981 at £515,000. That is the estimated total cost of raising the grant in 1981. As the Deputy will be aware, the grants are recoupable to the local authorities in the following financial year. I would have some difficulty in endeavouring to be exact about the information the Deputy was trying to receive having regard to the manner in which the questions are worded but I have endeavoured to give the maximum possible information to him in so far as I can interpret the purpose of his questions.

On what basis does the Minister conclude that the changes in academic requirements for the technological students will mean that very few students will be able to avail of that?

What I said was that, in the overall context of the increased cost of the implementation of the various changes which I announced, the extra financial cost of the changes in academic qualifications in the technological area announced by the previous Minister will represent only a small amount of the total increase.

How much?

Perhaps the Deputy would like to put down a question in that regard.

Does the Minister know the amount and, if he does not know, how can he make the statement that he has just made?

That does not form part of the subject matter of the question.

25.