Michael Creed
Question:371 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science if persons (details supplied) in County Cork are entitled to special maintenance grants. [31425/01]
Vol. 546 No. 3
371 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science if persons (details supplied) in County Cork are entitled to special maintenance grants. [31425/01]
372 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Cork is entitled to a special maintenance grant. [31426/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 371 and 372 together.
The report of the action group on access to third level education makes detailed recommendations concerning the introduction of special rates of maintenance grants for disadvantaged students, usually referred to as ‘top-up' grants.
The action group considered that the target group of those most in need could best be defined in terms of the child dependants of people receiving long-term welfare payments, in respect of whom continued child dependant allowance is being paid, by virtue of their being in full-time education, that is, child dependants in the age group 18 to 22. The action group recommended that the special rates of maintenance grant should also be available to mature students, that is, students aged 23 and over.
In order to qualify for the special rate of maintenance grant a candidate must meet a number of conditions, one of which is that she or he must already qualify for one of my Department's ordinary maintenance grants. My Department funds three means tested maintenance grant schemes for third level education students in respect of attendance on approved courses in approved third level institutions and one grant scheme in respect of post leaving certificate courses. These schemes include the higher education grants scheme; the vocational education committees' scholarship scheme; the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees; and the maintenance grants scheme for students attending post leaving certificate (PLC) courses. All four schemes have similar provisions, relating, for example, to residency and means, which govern the award of a grant.