Vol. 502 No. 6
338 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science when payment will issue in respect of a higher education grant to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9182/99]
The student in question originally applied to County Kildare Vocational Education Committee in September 1997 for a scholarship in respect of the 1997-98 academic year. It was not noticed at the time that the course on which he was embarking was not due to commence until January, 1998 and spanned only two terms of that academic year. County Kildare VEC inadvertently paid three instalments of maintenance to the student whereas he should only have been paid two instalments. When it came to the VEC's attention that the student had been overpaid for the 1997-98 academic year, the VEC alerted the student and an agreement was reached between the parties that only two instalments of maintenance would be paid for the 1998-99 academic year although the course spanned three terms of that year. The first instalment was paid in December, 1998 and the final instalment is due for payment in April 1999.
