asked the Minister for Education the number of mature students currently in receipt of third level grants; when the grants for the 1985-86 academic year were paid; and the reason for the delays in paying the grants.
Written Answers. - Third Level Education Grants.
27.
While there is no specific provision in the higher education grants and VEC scholarship schemes relating to mature students, there is no upper age limit in the schemes at present and it is, therefore, open to a mature student to sit for the leaving certificate examination in the normaly way for the purposes of qualifying for grant on grounds of academic attainments. My Department does not receive information on grant holders from the local rating authorities and VEC on an age basis.
The position regarding payments of grants is that the administration of the higher education grants and the VEC scholarship scheme has been statutorily entrusted to the local rating authorities and vocational education committees respectively.
The specimen higher education grants scheme issued by my Department to the local authorities each year contains a provision as follows:
Every effort will be made by the ...County Council/Corporation ...to pay the maintenance element (if any) of a grant-holder's grant in three equal instalments. One as early as possible in each term, and the individual paying orders will be addressed to the grant-holders...c/o the Bursar's Office of the University or other educational institutions concerned.
A similar provision is contained in the specimen vocational education committee scholarship scheme issued annually by the Department to each committee.
It is a matter for each local authority and vocational education committee to apply these provisions in its functional area and I would be concerned if there was any undue delay in the payment of grants or scholarship to students. The information in relation to 1985-86 requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department. I am arranging for my Department to have discussions with the County and City Managers' Association in relation to the administration of the grants scheme. I also indicated in Dáil Éireann on Thursday, 6 November 1986 that I am having the procedures for the award of grants reviewed with the purpose of ameliorating any difficulties that may exist in the operation of the grants scheme.