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Higher Education Grants.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 June 2004

Tuesday, 1 June 2004

Questions (191, 192)

Marian Harkin

Question:

209 Ms Harkin asked the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) will be considered for a higher education maintenance grant under the exceptional circumstances category. [16476/04]

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Written answers

Under the terms of my Department's third level student support schemes, maintenance grants are not generally payable in respect of a repeat period of study at the same level. However, clause 7.6 of the higher education grant, scheme states: "A Local Authority shall have discretion to waive this provision in exceptional circumstances, such as certified serious illness." There is a similar provision attaching to the free fees initiative under which my Department meets the tuition fees of eligible candidates who are attending approved undergraduate courses for the first time.

It is a matter for the relevant officials in the higher education grants section of the local authority to decide, at their discretion, whether a candidate should receive funding towards maintenance in respect of a repeat period of study at the same level. A decision in this regard would be made under the exceptional circumstances clause of the higher education grant scheme on the basis of the evidence supplied to the local authority.

Separately, it is a matter for the fees office of the institution to decide, at its discretion, whether a candidate should receive tuition fees in respect of a repeat period of study at the same level. A decision in this regard would be made under the exceptional circumstances clause of the free fees initiative on the basis of the evidence supplied to the college.

In exceptional cases, under the terms of the maintenance grant scheme, where funding has been awarded for a repeat year at the same level, it has generally been where the student is repeating a year or period of study on the same course.

I understand the candidate referred to by the Deputy has already pursued two years of a degree programme and is a first year student on a second degree programme. My Department has considered the evidence submitted to the local authority in support of the candidate's application for financial assistance on the second degree course but considers that it is not sufficient to justify funding a repeat period of study on a different undergraduate course. The candidate may be considered for grant assistance, subject to the usual terms and conditions, once he has completed two years of study on the current course and progresses, for the first time, to year three of the undergraduate course.

Section 7.6 of the higher education grants scheme is quite clear in that a candidate who has previously pursued an undergraduate course approved for the purposes of the scheme is not eligible to be considered for grant assistance until he or she has completed an equivalent period of study at undergraduate level.

Emmet Stagg

Question:

210 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason parents participating in a home study of applied behavioural analysis are not assisted through subsidising the fees (details supplied); if he will include parents in the categories for which subsidies will be awarded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16477/04]

View answer

The role of my Department, through its teacher education section, does not extend to the provision of training for parents in the circumstances referred to in this question. The teacher education section does provide additional training for teachers involved in the special provision, which my Department makes for children diagnosed with particular special educational needs. However, before a final decision is made in this case, officials in my Department's special education section will arrange to contact the person referred to by the Deputy for additional information about the training course in question.

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