Vol. 482 No. 6
471 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of local authorities nationwide which pay grants in sterling, as opposed to punts, to Irish people studying in the United Kingdom; and whether his Department has a ruling in this regard. [19056/97]
476 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo studying in the United Kingdom was paid his third level maintenance grant in punts and his Irish colleagues from Kilkenny, Tipperary and Cavan were paid their grants in sterling resulting in a difference of some £70 to the person. [19158/97]
I propose to answer Questions Nos. 471 and 476 together.
Prior to 1996, the student support schemes provided for the payment of grants in sterling to students who were pursuing approved courses in Northern Ireland. In 1996 the student support schemes were extended to provide maintenance grants to undergraduate students pursuing approved third level courses in other EU member states. Following discussions with the local authorities regarding the administrative arrangements which were necessary to take account of the new situation, it was agreed that students pursuing approved courses in other EU member states including Northern Ireland would be paid the value of the grant in the currency of the country in which they were studying. It was further agreed that the value of the maintenance grant to be paid in all circumstances would be the Irish value converted to the currency of the country in which the student is pursuing his-her course.
I have asked my Department to make inquiries about the individual local authority practices in the specific cases referred to by the Deputy.
