Vol. 478 No. 1
144 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Education if a person (details supplied) in Dublin 4, whose home address is over 15 miles from the college which he is attending, is entitled to the non-adjacent rate of European social fund maintenance grant; and if not, the reason therefor. [10495/97]
Under the 1996 ESF Maintenance Grants Scheme, independent mature students are defined to be mature students who are not ordinarily resident at home with their parents. Their entitlement to a grant is assessed without reference to either their parents' income or address.
The address of independent mature students for the purpose of determining the rate of grant payable is their residence for the purpose of attending college. If this address is within 15 miles of the college, the adjacent rate of grant is payable.If the address is more than 15 miles from college, the non-adjacent rate of grant is payable. However, where independent mature students can produce evidence that they are maintaining a residence other than their address while attending college and the non-college residence is more that 15 miles from the college, that address can be regarded as the normal residence of the student.
I understand from City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee that the student in question is attending college in Galway and has not provided satisfactory evidence that he is maintaining an address in Dublin. If the student can produce conclusive evidence that he is maintaining a residence in Dublin, his entitlement will be reviewed.
