Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 28 Nov 2000

Vol. 526 No. 6

Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.

Paul McGrath

Ceist:

404 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science when a response to Parliamentary Question No. 898 of 7 November 2000 will be forthcoming from his Department. [27514/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

The higher education grants scheme is administered by the local authorities. The three other schemes of student support are administered by the vocational education committees. As indicated in my response to Parliamentary Question No. 898 of 7 November 2000, the information sought by the Deputy has had to be collated from data requested from the local authorities and vocational education committees by my Department. It should be pointed out that these bodies are still processing additional grant applications.

The relevant data have now been furnished to my Department by the local authorities and vocational education committees. I have set out, in the following tables, the information requested by the Deputy in relation to grants approved, and paid, by the local authorities and the vocational education committees in respect of the higher education grants scheme; the vocational education committees' scholarships scheme; and the European Social Fund-aided maintenance grants scheme for students attending post leaving certificate courses – PLC.

In relation to the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees – formerly the European Social Fund-aided third level courses maintenance grants scheme for trainees – the position is that, while it is the vocational education committees which process and approve the applications, claims for payment are made by the individual institutes of technology to my Department. Accordingly, the vocational education committees do not hold data on the number of students actually paid under this scheme.

The Deputy should also note that, in respect of some vocational education committees, the number approved under the PLC scheme is less than the number actually paid. This arises due to the administrative arrangement whereby each VEC approves grants in respect of candidates who reside within its area but makes grant payments in respect of only those candidates who attend PLC centres within its catchment area. This procedure can account for delays in the payment of approved grants under the PLC scheme.

Higher Education Grants, Academic Year 2000-01

Local Authority	Number Approved*	Number Paid*
Carlow	250	250
Cavan	416	394
Clare	590	439
Cork Corporation	744	578
Cork County	1,629	1,629
Donegal	1,123	1,117
Dublin Corporation	1,626	1,576
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown	300	160
Fingal	347	224
South Dublin	601	601
Galway	1,679	1,605
Kerry	786	786
Kildare	457	435
Kilkenny	639	632
Laois	381	354
Leitrim	233	229
Limerick Corporation	309	286
Limerick County	708	426
Longford	215	189
Louth	422	422
Mayo	1,155	1,083
Meath	476	400
Monaghan	410	405
Offaly	307	307
Roscommon	566	566
Sligo	352	322
Tipperary NR	462	440
Tipperary SR	565	545
Waterford Corporation	205	147
Waterford County	347	330
Westmeath	424	416
Wexford	644	644
Wicklow	296	261
TOTAL	19,664	18,198

* These figures are subject to change as the awarding bodies process additional grant applications

Academic Year 2000-01
Vocational Education Committees' Scholarships	VEC
Third Level Maintenance Grants for Trainees	TLT
ESF-Aided Maintenance Grants for Students attending Post Leaving Certificate Courses	PLC

V.E.C.	SCHEME	APPROVED*	PAID*
County Carlow	VEC	84	84
	PLC	74	74
	TLT	257
County Cavan	VEC	87	87
	PLC	118	114
	TLT	150
County Clare	VEC	151	151
	PLC	204	113
	TLT	595
County Cork	VEC	337	316
	PLC	166	35
	TLT	230
City of Cork	VEC	58	52
	PLC	141	96
	TLT	112
County Donegal	VEC	487	468
	PLC	137	61
	TLT	469
City of Dublin	VEC	134	127
	PLC	318	602**
	TLT	151
County Dublin	VEC	178	119
	PLC	263	60
	TLT	328
Dun Laoghaire	VEC	35	35
	PLC	110	229**
	TLT	55

* These figures are subject to change as the awarding bodies process additional grant applications.

**These figures are greater than the numbers approved as payment is made by the VEC in whose area a PLC centre is located, rather than by the VEC in whose area a candidate resides.

VEC	Scheme	Approved*	Paid*
City of Galway	VEC	79	79
	PLC	75	170**
	TLT	528
County Galway	VEC	297	288
	PLC	130	None paid, as of 28 Nov
	TLT	294
County Kerry	VEC	316	287
	PLC	233	66
	TLT	351
County Kildare	VEC	51	45
	PLC	12	12
	TLT	217
County Kilkenny	VEC	108	108
	PLC	147	78
	TLT	375
County Laois	VEC	68	68
	PLC	50	30
	TLT	98
County Leitrim	VEC	64	61
	PLC	75	33
	TLT	101
City of Limerick	VEC	80	80
	PLC	90	169**
	TLT	196
County Limerick	VEC	201	178
	PLC	180	24
	TLT	725
County Longford	VEC	50	50
	PLC	25	25
	TLT	88
County Louth	VEC	162	152
	PLC	237	172
	TLT	340
County Mayo	VEC	237	233
	PLC	218	90
	TLT	517
County Meath	VEC	108	47
	PLC	146	5
	TLT	420

* These figures are subject to change as the awarding bodies process additional grant applications.

**These figures are greater than the numbers approved as payment is made by the VEC in whose area a PLC centre is located rather than by the VEC in whose area a candidate resides.

VEC	Scheme	Approved*	Paid*
County Monaghan	VEC	126	124
	PLC	105	32
	TLT	146
County Offaly	VEC	140	132
	PLC	122	None paid, as of 28 Nov
	TLT	596
County Roscommon	VEC	146	146
	PLC	88	28
	TLT	193
County Sligo	VEC	127	127
	PLC	61	140**
	TLT	169
County Tipperary NR	VEC	110	92
	PLC	110	33
	TLT	411
County Tipperary SR	VEC	146	138
	PLC	198	98
	TLT	441
County Waterford	VEC	59	48
	PLC	49	49
	TLT	170
City of Waterford	VEC	101	95
	PLC	37	37
	TLT	181
County Westmeath	VEC	111	111
	PLC	71	93**
	TLT	308
County Wexford	VEC	141	126
	PLC	393	231
	TLT	799
County Wicklow	VEC	114	107
	PLC	209	77
	TLT	189
TOTALS	VEC	4,693	4,361
	PLC	4,592	3,076
	TLT	10,200

* These figures are subject to change as the awarding bodies process additional grant applications.

**These figures are greater as payment is made by the VEC in whose area a PLC centre is located rather than by the VEC in whose area a candidate resides.