Vol. 481 No. 7
317 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be awarded a higher education grant as a mature student; and if, in view of the anomalous situation in relation to an individual's birthday in a given year, he will give all such students entitlements to such higher education grants. [17205/97]
Under the terms of the European Social Fund-aided maintenance grant scheme, a mature student is defined as a person of not less than 23 years of age on 1 January of the year of entry to an approved course. The eligibility of students who are not mature students is determined on the basis of their own income, if any, and that of their parents or guardians, irrespective of whether the student is living in the parental home.
The student in question had not attained 23 years of age on 1 January, 1997 and consequently must be assessed in this manner. I understand from County Wexford vocational education committee that they are awaiting details of her parental income, in order to determine her eligibility for a grant.
318 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Education and Science if there is uniformity in relation to each local authority's higher education grant section in the issuing of grant payments to third level students; whether certain counties are behind others; the action, if any, he proposes to take to streamline the situation; and when grants will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford. [17206/97]
The arrangements for the payment of grants under the higher education grants scheme are a matter for the local authorities, who are statutorily entrusted with the administration of the scheme under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Act, 1968. My Department does not have details on the current position in relation to the issue of payments by each of the individual local authorities.
I am engaged in an ongoing review of all aspects of higher education grants and in this regard, the administration of the scheme is an area of particular concern. The Advisory Committee on Third Level Student Support, whose report was published in February, 1995, found the present system of student support to be fragmented, cumbersome and very confusing for grant applicants. It identified overlaps and duplication with up to 70 different organisations involved in the administration of the grant schemes. It also found that payments were too frequently delayed and that students were often disadvantaged by various administrative problems in the system.
It is clear that the current administration of the student support schemes must be improved. Apart from reservations about the need for a new body I have an open mind as to what the best and most appropriate options are for a new centralised system. A joint working group involving officials from my Department and the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs has begun an examination of various options and the possible role of that Department in any new system. I expect to have a report and recommendations in the matter towards the end of this year.
