Louis J. Belton
Question:234 Mr. Belton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will reimburse third level grants to students in the United Kingdom who are losing out due to the currency exchange rate. [12263/00]
Written Answers. - Third Level Grants.
Since 1996, the student support schemes have been extended to provide maintenance grants to undergraduate students pursuing approved third level courses in other EU member states. Prior to this, such grants were only payable to students who were pursuing approved courses in the Republic and Northern Ireland.
In this context, following discussions with the local authorities regarding the necessary administrative arrangements, it was agreed that students pursuing approved courses in other EU member states, including the United Kingdom, 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 relevant country in which the student was studying, at the prevailing exchange rate. My Department confirmed these arrangements in a letter of November 1996 to all local authorities and vocational education committees and a reminder was issued in December 1997. Indeed these arrangements are included in the terms of the annual higher education grants scheme.
I am satisfied that the current arrangements are equitable and efficient. While I appreciate the current exchange rate difficulties with sterling, I am not in a position to supplement grant aid for students pursuing courses in the United Kingdom or elsewhere in the EU. Moreover, such an approach could well give rise to anomalies and to claims of inequitable treatment between students studying in different countries.