Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 8 Dec 1998

Vol. 498 No. 1

Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.

Michael Creed

Ceist:

379 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the anomaly whereby certain pupils studying in the United Kingdom find themselves disqualified from qualifying for a maintenance grant as the course which they are pursuing is not funded by the Higher Education Council of England, Scotland or Wales or by the Scottish Office and yet the course is publicly funded through the United Kingdom Department of Health in the same way as other degree courses where the public funding is channelled through the relevant Higher Education Council in the United Kingdom; and if he will review the content of form SA1 in the higher education grant application form which is now being used to discriminate against these students. [26606/98]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

Since 1996, the student support schemes include provision for the payment of maintenance grants to undergraduate students pursuing approved third level courses in other EU member states. An approved course is defined as a "full-time undergratuate course of not less than two years duration pursued in a university or third level institution which is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds in another EU member state with the exception of the following:

(i) courses in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and teacher training courses including those leading to the award of Bachelor of Education.

(ii) courses in colleges of further and higher education (other than courses which are at Higher National Diploma level or higher).

(iii) courses provided in a college which are offered in private commercial third level colleges in the State, and which are validated by that college.

(iv) courses in colleges akin to private commercial colleges in Ireland."

Prior to the current academic year, publicly funded courses in Britain referred to courses funded by the Higher Education Funding Council of England, Scotland or Wales or by the Scottish Office. It was recently brought to my Department's attention that from the 1998-9 acadenic year there has been a change in the method of funding of degree courses for the professions allied to medicine in England and Wales. My Department is in correspondence with the Department for Education and Employment in the UK regarding the new funding arrangements and will notify all local authorities and vocational education committees of the outcome as soon as possible.