P. J. Sheehan
Question:121 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork has been refused a third level grant by City of Cork VEC. [20964/00]
Written Answers. - Third Level Grants.
I understand that the person in question has applied for a grant under the ESF-aided maintenance grants scheme for students attending post leaving certificate courses, which is administered by the vocational education committees.
Under that scheme candidates must satisfy the relevant conditions as to age, residence, means and nationality.
To be eligible for a grant under the scheme, in the case of a candidate under 23 years of age, a candidate's parents-guardians must have been ordinarily resident in the administrative area of a vocational education committee on 1 October 1999. As the parents do not fulfil the residency requirement the candidate is not eligible for a grant.
Under the terms of the scheme, the VEC has discretion to waive this requirement, but only in exceptional circumstances.