asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the anomaly in the higher education grants scheme whereby a pupil of a secondary college in the Six Counties, although resident in the Twenty-six Counties cannot avail of the grant in order to attend a third level college in the Twenty-six Counties; and in the scheme for 1988 currently under review, whether her Department will give due recognition to equivalent qualifications in the Six Counties; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants Scheme.
174.
The administration of the higher education grants scheme is statutorily entrusted to local authorities. Section 2 (1) (a) of the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Act, 1968 provides for the making of grants to candidates who, inter alia, achieve prescribed successes at the leaving certificate examination of the Department of Education. Local authorities are, therefore, not empowered to admit successes in an examination other than the leaving certificate examination, for the purposes of determining a candidate's eligibility for a grant.
A student who chooses not to sit the leaving certificate examination of the Department of Education and who does not obtain the prescribed examination successes is precluded from being considered for the award of a grant under the schemes of financial assistance operated under the aegis of my Department.
I have no plans to alter the existing statutory position.