Vol. 423 No. 8
125 Mr. D. Ahern asked the Minister for Education if his attention has been drawn to the fact that under the 1991-92 means test tables, issued for the higher education grants scheme, the income limit for a couple with seven children was only raised from £19,483 to £19,500; and if he will make a statement on the matter, with particular regard to the problems this will cause to such large families.
Under the 1992 higher education grants scheme a couple with seven dependent children and with a reckonable income of £19,500 would qualify for a full fee grant in respect of the first child eligible for a grant under the scheme.
In addition the relevant income limit under the 1992 Scheme was increased incrementally by £2,000 for each child after the first child attending full-time third-level education in 1992-93 in order to ease the financial burden on large families with more than one child in third-level education.
126 Mr. D. Ahern asked the Minister for Education if his attention has been drawn to the anomaly which prevents intending students from availing of the full higher education authority grant if they have already been in receipt of ESF funding at, for instance, regional technical college level; and if he intends to change this situation.
A candidate who has held a European Social Fund training grant and who wishes to progress to a degree course recognised for the purposes of the higher education grants scheme may qualify for the award of a higher education grant.
For purpose of payment of grant, the candidate is required to obtain exemption from the first or second year of the degree programme (depending on the course previously followed by the student). The higher education grant is then payable in respect of each of the additional years necessary for the completion of the degree.
