Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 Mar 2003

Vol. 563 No. 4

Written Answers - Grant Payments.

Noel Grealish

Question:

277 Mr. Grealish asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a top-up grant was refused to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; if he will review this case, with the possibility of restoring the top-up grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7715/03]

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

The report of the action group on access to third level education makes detailed recommendations concerning the introduction of special rates of maintenance grants for disadvantaged students, usually referred to as top-up grants. To qualify for the special rate of maintenance grant a candidate must meet a number of conditions, one of which is that he or she must already qualify for one of my Department's ordinary maintenance grants. My Department funds three means-tested maintenance grant schemes for third level students in respect of attendance on approved courses in approved third level institutions and one grant scheme in respect of post-leaving certificate courses, namely, the higher education grants scheme, the vocational education committees' scholarship scheme; the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees and the maintenance grants scheme for students attending PLCs.

Where a student is already in receipt of a grant under one of these schemes, he or she may apply to the relevant local authority or VEC for the special rate of grant. Decisions on applications are taken by these bodies, based on the conditions and terms issued by my Department. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except in exceptional cases where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular condition is desired. If an individual applicant considers that he or she has been unjustly refused the special rate of maintenance grant, he or she may appeal to the relevant local authority or VEC.

Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down, in writing, by the relevant local authority or VEC, and remains of the view that the body has not interpreted the conditions correctly in his or her case, a letter outlining the position may be sent to my Department. The student referred to by the Deputy submitted an appeal to the student support unit of my Department. The decision of the local authority to refuse the additional grant was upheld, as the reckonable income exceeded the income threshold specified in the scheme. It is not open to me or to my Department to depart from the terms of the schemes in individual cases.