Vol. 525 No. 2
898 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science if, in regard to each responsible authority, he will state the number of higher education grants approved; the number of higher education grants paid to date; the number of PLC grant approvals; the number of PLC grants paid to date; and if he will have overdue payments expedited in view of the fact many students have not yet received their grant aid. [24317/00]
The Department of Education and Science funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students, which are administered by the local authorities and vocational education committees – the higher education grants scheme; the vocational education committees' scholarships scheme; the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees, formerly the European social fund aided third level courses maintenance grants scheme for trainees; and the European social fund aided maintenance grants scheme for students attending post leaving certificate courses, which was introduced in the 1998-99 academic year.
The higher education grants scheme is administered by the local authorities. The three other schemes of student support are administered by the vocational education committees.
The administering bodies are being contacted in order that the statistical information requested by the Deputy can be collated and, when available, I will arrange to have it forwarded to the Deputy.
899 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a person who is a lone parent and who wishes to undertake third level studies is classified as a dependant of his or her parents for the purpose of determining her eligibility for the maintenance grant under the higher education grant scheme; the plans he has to amend this anomaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24318/00]
The higher education grant schemes operate under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992. These Acts define a mature student to mean a person "of not less than 23 years of age, or such other age as may stand specified for the time being in regulations made by the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Finance, who have secured places in approved institutions and have reached that age on the 1st day of January, or such other date as may be prescribed from time to time by the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Finance, in the year of entry to such institutions". The Acts further provide, inter alia, for the making of grants to mature students whose means and those of their parents, where the mature students are dependent on their parents, and the means of their spouses, if any, do not exceed prescribed limits.
Under the terms of the higher education grants schemes, mature students are categorised as either independent mature students or mature students dependent on parents. An independent mature student is defined to mean a mature student who was not ordinarily resident at home with his or her parents from the October preceding their entry to an approved course. Independent mature students are deemed to be self-supporting and are assessed without reference to either their parents' income or address. When assessing the means of students other that mature students, the Acts specify that the students' means and those of their parents or guardians must be below a prescribed limit. This provision requires that parental income be taken into account irrespective of the individual circumstances in any case where the student is not a mature student.
The other student support schemes have similar provisions in relation to the means assessment of students.
It is recognised that these provisions can give rise to difficulties in individual cases and my Department is examining the issues involved.
