I wish to refer to clause 2.2 and 2.3 of the Higher Education Grants Scheme 2009 and Clause 2.1 and 2.2 of the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarship Scheme 2009. Clause 2.2 states:
2.2 A candidate shall not be eligible to hold a grant under this Scheme if he/she holds:
(i) a scholarship/grant awarded by another Local Authority, a Vocational Education Committee or the Department of Education and Science, or
(ii) any other award payable from public funds, or
(iii) the equivalent of (i) or (ii) from another E.U. Member State.
The provisions at (ii) or (iii) do not include awards such as scholarships, prizes or bursaries, made by the institution being attended or postgraduate research grants where the grant received does not exceed a specified amount, which for the 2009-10 academic year, is specified to be €16,000. In addition, the provision at (ii) does not include awards to candidates under the Student Assistance Fund, the Millennium Partnership Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities. Clause 2.3 states:
2.3 Notwithstanding clause 2.2 above holders of the following scholarships, if eligible, may also hold a maintenance grant:
Easter Week Scholarship Holders
Donagh O'Malley Scholarship Holders
All Ireland Scholarship Holders
Science Foundation Ireland/Dell Scholarship for Young Women in Engineering.
Under these clauses, the full value of the award to the student, from public funds, is taken into consideration. Such awards may include two elements: one in respect of fees — either an amount towards the cost of fees or a fee waiver — and, the second, a stipend paid directly to the student for living costs. Where the full value of the award does not exceed the limit specified in the schemes, the student may also be approved for funding under the student grant schemes subject to the terms and conditions of the scheme.