Paul Bradford
Question:120 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be eligible for a higher education grant or VEC scholarship grant from September 1998. [12568/98]
Written Answers. - Student Support Schemes.
The course referred to by the Deputy is a post-leaving certificate course and therefore the provisions of the higher education grants scheme or the VEC scholarship scheme will not extend to it.
However, the programme for Government, An Action Programme for the Millennium, provides a commitment to the introduction of equitable support of students attending PLC courses. As the Deputy is aware, I have already advised the House of my intention to introduce grants, which will be at the same level as the third-level maintenance grants, as soon as possible for students who are registered on PLC courses, as of September 1998.
Provision for the payment of the first instalment of these grants has been included in the 1998 Estimates. Further information on the administrative arrangements for the PLC scheme will be available in the near future.