Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 30 Jan 2003

Vol. 560 No. 2

Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.

Paul McGrath

Question:

45 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science if an Irish citizen who completed all their education here and spent the past 12 months in Australia, can qualify for a mature student maintenance grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2200/03]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

The general rule regarding residency requirements for these schemes is that a candidate's parents-guardians or, in the case of an independent mature candidate, the candidate her-himself, must have been resident in the administrative area of the local authority-VEC from 1 October of the year prior to entry on an approved course.

A mature student is defined as a person of not less than 23 years of age on 1 January in the year of entry to an approved third level institution. Mature students are categorised as either mature students dependent on parents or independent mature students. A mature student dependent on parents is defined to mean a mature candidate who was ordinarily resident with her/his parents from the October preceding their entry to an approved course.

An independent mature student is defined to mean a mature candidate who was not ordinarily resident with his-her parents from the October preceding their entry to an approved course. Independent mature students are assessed without reference to either their parents' income or residency.

Under the terms of the schemes the local authority-VEC has discretion to waive the residency requirement in exceptional circumstances.