Vol. 526 No. 5
126 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Kildare qualifies for higher educational grant fees in view of the fact that she attends Portabello College, Dublin 6 and is in receipt of one parent family allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27165/00]
The higher education grants scheme operates under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992. An approved institution is defined to mean a university, university college or other institution of higher education in so far as it provides a course or courses of not less than two years duration, being a course or courses which the Minister for Education and Science approves for the time being for the purposes of the Acts.
Each year, the higher education grants scheme specifies a list of approved institutions for the purposes of the scheme. The approved institutions mainly comprise publicly funded third level institutions. Any extension to the scope of the grants scheme, to include private colleges such as Portobello College, can be considered only in the light of available resources and in the context of competing demands within the education sector.
Under the free fees initiative, the State meets the tuition fees of eligible students who are attending full-time undergraduate courses, which must generally be of at least two years duration, at approved colleges.
Portobello College is not an approved college for the purpose of the free fees initiative. As the question of the non-inclusion of courses in private colleges within the free fees initiative is currently at issue in the case of Patrick Jordan junior, Patrick Jordan senior, Raymond Kearns and Barry Acton v. the Minister for Education and Science, Ireland and the Attorney General, I do not consider it appropriate for me to comment further on the matter.
Tax relief at the standard rate of tax is available on certain tuition fees paid to certain private colleges in the State, including Portobello College, in respect of approved undergraduate courses. Further details and conditions in relation to such tax relief are available from any tax office.
In addition, the Finance Act, 2000, provides tax relief for fees paid in respect of approved postgraduate courses, including courses in approved private third level colleges.
127 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a full non-adjacent third level education grant has not been approved in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27166/00]
Kildare County Council, the relevant body charged with the administration of the maintenance grants scheme in this case, has confirmed to my Department that they have recently reviewed this case and, as a result of the review, the student in question has been awarded the full non-adjacent rate of grant. Payment of the first grant instalment issued, c/o the college being attended, on 23 October 2000.
