Former Fianna Fáil minister Mary Hanafin called on Government to re-instate post-graduate students' maintenance grants as she was conferred with an MA in American Studies from UCD's Clinton Institute this afternoon.

Ms Hanafin, now a Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown county councillor, said the Coalition could save money by bringing back the grants that have not been paid since 2012.

“It’s only students now with that extra qualification who are going to be successful in getting jobs immediately. A masters now is almost what’s expected in the professional workforce and yet you can’t get a student grant for it,” she said.

“The Government would pay far more in unemployment assistance or back to education allowances eventually. The straight-forward thing to do would be to allow students to keep going.”

Ms Hanafin confirmed that she did not apply for a grant for the masters, which she said cost €5,000. She secured a first-class honours after completing the year-long course.

“There were kids in my class who were trying to work and do their study. I’m in the lucky position that I could afford to give it the year,” she added.

A row erupted during the local elections campaign earlier this year when Ms Hanafin defied Fianna Fáil party leadership to contest the elections despite having been told headquarters had changed its mind about her standing.

In May, she was elected on the first count in the Blackrock ward of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council along with the party's favoured candidate Kate Feeney, president of the youth wing Ógra Fianna Fáil.

Ms Hanafin lost her Dáil seat in the 2011 general election, when she was deputy leader of the party. She held a number of senior ministries, including minister for education, and was also government chief whip.

She caused some controversy within Fianna Fáil this September when she described some members of the party’s front bench as “anonymous”.