asked the Minister for Education the measures she proposes to take to rectify the anomalous situation whereby students at Regional Technical Colleges on completion of a successful two year certification course on European Social Fund grants cannot qualify for further funding for diploma and degree courses because eligibility for such funding still depends on earlier leaving certificate results.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Courses at Regional Technical Colleges.
38.
I do not accept that any anomalous situation exists. Students who have completed a certificate course with the aid of an ESF grant may be eligible for assistance for progression to diploma or degree courses under the VEC scholarships scheme. Eligibility for assistance under this scheme is not based solely upon the leaving certificate examination results of the year of embarking on the ESF course but also upon a number of other conditions, including a means test. The conditions of the scheme are of general application in the case of all candidates and have been applied in the manner I have indicated since the introduction of such a provision in the scholarships scheme in 1977 specifically to assist ESF grant-holders to pursue advanced courses of study.
I want to be very specific about this matter. The Minister, inadvertently I am sure, chose not to attend to the salient point in my question. A young man or woman may qualify on means for a VEC grant but if he or she does not receive the required two honours in the leaving certificate because of the policy introduced by the Minister, not Deputy G. Brady or Fianna Fáil, in the summer following her appointment as Minister for Education, he or she does not qualify for the grant. If that person pursues a course successfully in one of the regional technical colleges and is awarded a certificate with distinction permitting him or her to take a diploma or degree course in a discipline, he or she will not get further funding because their leaving certificate continues to haunt them although their post leaving certificate achievements should supersede such credentials.
Unfortunately, the VEC scholarship scheme is of general application and if we start making exceptions it will not be equitable for many other people. It is also necessary to point out that students who have had two years completely free of fees and fully grant-aided from the European Social Fund have already enjoyed some advantage. Therefore, that group could not be considered to be the most necessitous for getting special help and for whom we should change the VEC scholarship scheme. Everybody must fulfil the same academic attainments of the 1983 scholarship scheme as students had to fulfil in other years. There is no way out of that.
It is unfortunate the Minister will not see my point. A young man or woman may attain a credit ——
The Deputy is repeating herself.
—— thus indicating that he or she is on the right path but their skill cannot be utilised because that person cannot afford to proceed with his or her education. The Minister is missing a valid point, that the money is wasted in many instances.
The Deputy appears to be saying that the two year course was of no use.
I am not.
I must point out to the House that Question Time has concluded.
I am anxious to raise this matter on the Adjournment.
I should like to raise with the Minister for Education on the Adjournment ——
The Deputy is late.
The Chair told me yesterday that I had until 4 p.m. to raise a question on the Adjournment.
That was yesterday but this is Thursday.
I asked for a direction in regard to the entire parliamentary session. Am I to be denied for the second day in succession an opportunity to raise a matter on the Adjournment? I notice that the Minister has made a sudden exit.
Like other Members, when he came here as a new boy the Deputy was presented with a copy of Standing Orders and I advise him to read it.
What is the deadline?
Before 3.30 p.m. today and 4 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Question No. 16 will go into the further ballot by request. Questions Nos. 17 to 34, inclusive, will go for written answer unless before 4 p.m. today a request is made that any of them should go into the next ballot.
In view of the fact that I misinterpreted what the Chair said yesterday I should like special permission to raise a matter on the Adjournment.
No, precedents are desperate and get one into all sorts of trouble.
I do not want to create a precedent but I make the request as a special favour.
I would love to facilitate the Deputy but I cannot.
I will have to raise the matter next week.
I hope the Deputy does not make the same mistake next week.
I do not make mistakes.