Vol. 262 No. 8
asked the Minister for Education if he will amend the regulations governing the postponing of the taking up of a grant by a person under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Act, 1968 to facilitate all persons who have gained such a grant to take up the grant in any year they chose; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
25.
asked the Minister for Education the circumstances in which he will allow persons who have gained a university scholarship under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Act, 1968 to take up the scholarship in a year other than the year in which they gained the scholarship.
26.
asked the Minister for Education if he will state the number of people who applied to his Department to take up a grant for the year 1971-72 under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Act, 1968, and who gained such a grant in any year prior to 1971.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 24, 25 and 26 together.
There could be no question of operating a higher education grants scheme on the basis of giving those who have qualified for such grants liberty to divorce themselves completely from study over an indefinite period and then be allowed to enter an institution of higher education and take up the grant.
Provision is made in the higher education grants scheme being operated by the local authorities for the postponement of grants where circumstances made it difficult or impossible for the student to enter higher education immediately, each application being considered on its merits.
Applications for grants or the postponement of grants are not made to my Department but to the local authority concerned in each case. It would be a matter for the local authority to decide whether the submission of the application to my Department was either necessary or warranted.
I do not at all agree with the Minister's attitude in relation to this matter. Is he not aware that the Department rules on such matters as late applications and on the reasons given by an applicant as to why he could not pursue a course in the year in which he gets the scholarship, and that furthermore the Department's ruling in these matters is unnecessarily strict and narrow? If we are to provide education for people with high academic standards should we not endeavour to provide it at all times and ensure that a liberal ruling will always be given by the Department? This is not so at present.
The Department is very reasonable in its application——
That is not so.
The Deputy is aware, of course, that what he says in the first part of his supplementary statement is in connection with a different matter altogether. The Department, in my view, deals very reasonably with applications in relation to these higher education grants.
Do I understand the Minister to say it would not be possible to operate the scheme otherwise? Does he not agree that it would be quite possible to operate the scheme in such a way that people who become entitled by virtue of their performance in an examination to enter the college in some subsequent year should apply in that year and get it? Would he not agree that the attitude of the Department is unreasonable, bureaucratic and contrary to the spirit and intent of the scheme which is to help people to get to university and not to hinder them?
Not at all. Provision is made in the higher education grant scheme for the postponement of grants where circumstances make it difficult or impossible for a student to enter higher education——
Is the Minister aware that cases I have made have been turned down?
That is quite a different matter altogether.
Is it not a fact that applicants who applied to the university in the year following the gaining of the scholarship were told that they would have to do the leaving certificate again?
It would depend on the circumstances.
That is a ridiculous attitude.
Would he agree——
I am calling Question No. 27.
I shall dispose of that tomorrow. There is another question down.
