Vol. 399 No. 8
137 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Education if funding from the European Social Fund can be made available to those students attending private institutions following completion of the leaving certificate which specialise in the teaching of European languages.
ESF aid is provided only for publicly funded institutions or bodies, and any income generated locally must be offset against total costs in making a claim for funds. Aid is paid therefore only on the level of Exchequer input which is required to sustain each approved programme. In the circumstances, private colleges providing language courses are not eligible for ESF aid.
