Michael Ring
Question:105 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education the present position regarding an application for the free post-primary education scheme submitted by a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [9489/95]
Written Answers. - Free Post-Primary Education.
Provision exists for the payment of grants in respect of pupils whose homes are outside the range of transport services to a second level school providing suitable post-primary education.
To qualify for this grant, an applicant must be resident at least three miles from a centre where suitable free post-primary education is available, or from a pick-up point on a bus route to such a centre, and be a recognised pupil in a boarding school in which the boarding fee or lodgings charged to parents does not exceed £1,700 per pupil per annum.
All eligible students receive a grant of eight-fifteenths(8/15) of the total boarding fee charged to parents. An additional allowance of seven-fifteenths (7/15) of the boarding fee is payable, which brings the boarding grant to 100 per cent in the case of needy applicants whose sole income consists of Social Welfare assistance or in the case of other applicants whose income does not exceed £9,100 per annum, with a further £299 for each dependent child after the first child.
The applicant referred to has been awarded a full grant towards the cost of lodgings, following examination of the most recent application.