The Government has gone back on its controversial decision to slash an allowance for students returning to education.
The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) will now continue to support students on post graduate courses that lead to a Higher Diploma in any discipline or a Graduate Diploma in Education, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Ms Coughlan, announced today.
However, the allowance will still be cut during the summer for BTEA participants who got an unemployment payment before starting the scheme. All other participants on the scheme, including lone parents and people with disabilities, will retain payment during the summer.
Last week there were protests by students at the Department of Social and Family Affairs over the cuts to the allowance, which is available to the long-term unemployed, single parents and people on disability for returning to college.
The reductions, according to the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), would have forced many of the 6,000 people in receipt of the grant to abandon their studies.
A USI spokesman said today's announcement was "positive" news and "any moves to stop cutbacks are welcomed".However, he added that the move was "just a small step" and the USI would continue to insist that the Government "reverse all the cutbacks" to the Back to Education Allowance.
The decision by the Government comes after Saturday's announcement by Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, to abandon plans to reintroduce third-level fees. Fine Gael's Tom Hayes today called for a "public apology" from the Minister for his handling of the "fiasco".
Mr Hayes accused Minister Dempsey of acting "irresponsibly" and adding "to the anxiety of parents and students at a time of already heightened stress" coming up to exam time.
"This coalition is nothing but a partnership of disarray and deceit", according to Mr Hayes.
Students from one of the State's largest private colleges, Griffith College in Dublin, are considering legal action to secure free fees for those studying in private colleges. "The Government is discriminating against those studying in the private sector," a students' spokeswoman said.