Michael Creed
Ceist:371 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science if persons (details supplied) in County Cork are entitled to special maintenance grants. [31425/01]
Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.
Michael Creed
Ceist:372 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Cork is entitled to a special maintenance grant. [31426/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 371 and 372 together.
The report of the action group on access to third level education makes detailed recommendations concerning the introduction of special rates of maintenance grants for disadvantaged students, usually referred to as ‘top-up' grants.
The action group considered that the target group of those most in need could best be defined in terms of the child dependants of people receiving long-term welfare payments, in respect of whom continued child dependant allowance is being paid, by virtue of their being in full-time education, that is, child dependants in the age group 18 to 22. The action group recommended that the special rates of maintenance grant should also be available to mature students, that is, students aged 23 and over.
In order to qualify for the special rate of maintenance grant a candidate must meet a number of conditions, one of which is that she or he must already qualify for one of my Department's ordinary maintenance grants. My Department funds three means tested maintenance grant schemes for third level education students in respect of attendance on approved courses in approved third level institutions and one grant scheme in respect of post leaving certificate courses. These schemes include the higher education grants scheme; the vocational education committees' scholarship scheme; the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees; and the maintenance grants scheme for students attending post leaving certificate (PLC) courses. All four schemes have similar provisions, relating, for example, to residency and means, which govern the award of a grant.
Where a student is already in receipt of a grant under one of these schemes, she or he may apply to the relevant local authority or VEC for the special rate of grant. Decisions on applications are taken by these bodies, based on the con ditions and terms issued by my Department. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular condition is desired. It appears that no such advice or instruction has, to date, been sought in the case of the students referred to by the Deputy. It is not open to me, or my Department, to depart from the terms of the maintenance grants schemes in individual cases.
Until such time as an application has been decided on by the relevant local authority or VEC, all inquiries regarding an individual application should be directed to the body concerned rather than to my Department. If an individual applicant considers that she or he has been unjustly refused the special rate of maintenance grant, she or he may appeal to the relevant local authority or VEC.
Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down, in writing, by the relevant local authority or VEC, and remains of the view that the body has not interpreted the conditions correctly in his or her case, a letter outlining the position may be sent to my Department. Alternatively, as already indicated, the local authority or VEC may itself, in exceptional circumstances, seek clarification on issues from my Department. The eligibility requirements for the special rates of maintenance grant will be reviewed with a view to extending eligibility. A first step will be to assess the coverage and effectiveness of the implementation of the special rates in this first year of operation.
Apart from the maintenance grants schemes and the free fees initiative, under which my Department meets the cost of tuition fees for eligible undergraduate students in approved institutions, financial support is also available to students in approved third level institutions through the student assistance/access fund. The objectives of the fund, which is ESF aided, are 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.