Vol. 500 No. 4
363 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath will be approved for an ESF maintenance grant for the post-leaving certificate course she wishes to pursue. [4035/99]
Under the terms of the maintenance grant scheme for students attending post-leaving certificate courses, candidates are eligible to apply for a mean tested maintenance grant for attendance at full-time post-leaving certificate courses of at least one year's duration which are approved by the Minister for Education and Science for the purposes of this scheme. Candidates are ineligible for grant assistance if they already hold an NCVA level 2 or level 3 qualification or a third level qualification at national certificate, national diploma, degree, post-graduate or equivalent level. However, candidates holding an NCVA level 2 qualification who are progressing to pursue a course which, for the purposes of this scheme, is deemed to be a course offering progression may be considered for the award of a grant under the scheme.
As the student in question is pursuing a course which, for the purposes of this scheme, is deemed to be a course offering progression, she has been awarded the full non-adjacent rate of grant by County Westmeath VEC. The first instalment of her grant issued on Wednesday, 10 February 1999 in respect of the period September 1998 to January 1999. For the remainder of the year the grant will be paid on a monthly basis.
