Michael Finucane
Ceist:197 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Education the value of the grant, if any, that she will approve for a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7752/97]
Written Answers - Higher Education Grants.
To be eligible for grant aid under the higher education grants scheme, a candidate must fulfil the conditions as to residence, age, academic attainments, nationality and means. Where a local authority awards a maintenance grant under the higher education grants scheme, the award is provisional and can only be continued in any subsequent years where the local authority is satisfied that the provisions of the scheme continue to be complied with.
The eligibility of a grant holder may be reassessed by the local authority in the event of a change relating to the grant holder's reckonable income, which is likely to be permanent. The income limits under the higher education grants scheme in those cases shall be those of the scheme of the year in which the change of circumstances occurs.
Officials of my Department have been in contact with Limerick County Council and I understand that there has been a change in the family income which entitles the student in question to part maintenance at the non-adjacent rate in respect of the 1996-7 academic year. As the student in question is currently repeating second year of his course, and already received two instalments of maintenance during the 1995-6 academic year, he is only entitled to receive the third instalment of part maintenance at the non-adjacent rate for the 1996-7 academic year.