Vol. 449 No. 7
160 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education the amount drawn down by Westmeath Vocational Educational Committee in respect of payments made to students under the third level support scheme in 1993 and 1994; if these claims have been found to correspond with expenditure under this heading by the Vocational Educational Committee for these periods; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4313/95]
The third level support scheme includes the vocational education committee scholarship scheme and European Social Fund grants. The vocational education committee did not receive any payments in respect of the ESF grants in 1993 and 1994. Since Athlone Regional Technical College became independent of County Westmeath vocational education committee on 1 January 1993, the ESF grants are paid directly to Athlone regional technical college. The vocational education committee still retain responsibility for the vocational education committee scholarship scheme.
The amount paid to County Westmeath Vocational Education Committee in respect of the vocational education committee scholarship scheme was £247,482 in 1993 and £24,400 in 1994. The vocational education committee made a return to the Department in November 1993, estimating its expenditure under the scheme for 1993 at £235,494. Vocational education committee scholarship grants were paid by the Department on that basis.
The annual financial statement for 1993, received in April 1994 showed that the expenditure on the vocational education committee scholarship scheme in 1993 amounted to £132,572. The claim made by the vocational education committee exceeded actual expenditure by £102,922. £95,795 of this overpayment was recovered by reducing payments under the scheme to the vocational education committee in 1994, leaving £7,126 to be recovered in 1995.
According to the scholarship returns for 1994 from the vocational education committee, received in January 1995, the payments in respect of the scholarship scheme amounted to £120,195 during 1994. As the annual financial statement for 1994 has not yet been received, this figure cannot be confirmed.
