Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 May 1999

Vol. 504 No. 7

Written Answers. - Institutes of Technology.

Proinsias De Rossa

Question:

88 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Education and Science his views on the survey compiled by the students' union at Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology and the Union of Students in Ireland which shows that students on European Social Fund maintenance grants lose, on average, 25 per cent of their payments due to the system of grant docking; his views on whether the system as it applies to some third level students is fair; the data, if any, his Department has on the amount of the maintenance grant payments students are losing through this system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12802/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 88 and 92 together.

The European Social Fund aided third level courses maintenance grants scheme for trainees provides maintenance grants for eligible students who are pursuing middle level technician and higher technical-business skills programmes at the institutes of technology.

The objective of the middle level technician and higher technical-business skills programme is to enhance industrial competitiveness and growth by providing initial third level education and training to meet the technical and higher level manpower needs of the economy. The training conditions of the programme are intended to reflect the reality of the work environment, thereby preparing trainees for the workplace.

The regulations governing the middle level technician and higher technical-business skills programme state that:

Trainees on the programmes will be subject to normal industrial disciplines during training regarding time-keeping, absenteeism etc., and the institute authorities will be required to reflect these factors in the payment of maintenance grants. Trainees may be allowed sick leave without reduction in the level of grant for a maximum of 15 days per academic year. All such absences must be notified to the institute authorities in writing.

Normal industrial discipline refers to the normal conditions which exist in the workplace, for example notifying absences due to illness in writing to the college authorities. Candidates applying for a maintenance grant for an ESF-aided course receives a copy of the scheme in which the payment procedures are set out and they are, accordingly, familiar with these provisions from the commencement of their courses.

The higher education grants scheme and the vocational education committees' scholarship scheme allow for the payments of grants in three equal installments. These grants are paid on the basis of the student continuing to be a registered student at college rather than a roll call taken on a daily basis which is the system which operates on ESF-aided courses in the institutes of technology.

My Department does not have any details in relation to the amount of maintenance grant payments students are losing under this provision of the ESF maintenance grants scheme.

I have not yet seen the findings of the survey compiled by the students' union at Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology and the Union of Students in Ireland referred to by the Deputies. My officials have been in contact with the students' union at the institute to obtain a copy of the survey and I understand that the survey, which was intended to highlight local difficulties, was confined to students at the institute. I further understand that the union and the institute have since reached agreement on guidelines for the operation of the relevant provisions of the scheme.