Vol. 543 No. 2
748 Mr. P. Carey asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will review the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 to facilitate this person under the initiative to assist students from disadvantaged backgrounds. [26001/01]
In light of representations made by the student referred to by the Deputy, my Department has requested details of his case from Galway Corporation, the relevant grant-awarding body in this case. When the details have been established, a response will issue directly from my Department to the student and I will arrange for my Department to notify the Deputy of the outcome. Apart from the maintenance grants schemes, financial support is also available to students, in approved third level institutions, through the student assistance-access fund. The objective of the fund, which is ESF-aided, is to assist students in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise – due to their financial circumstances – be unable to continue their third level studies. The fund is administered on a discretionary and confidential basis by each third level institution and provides direct financial support to disadvantaged students to assist them to remain on in college. I increased significantly the provision for this Fund from £1.296 million in 1999 to £1.964 million in 2000.
