Beverley Flynn
Ceist:264 Ms Cooper-Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Galway who is attending a third level college is entitled to grant assistance. [26054/03]
Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.
Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Dempsey):
My Department's higher education grants scheme operates under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts 1968 to 1992. The annual higher education grants scheme, which I approve, sets out a list of approved institutions for the purposes of the scheme. 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.
The approved institutions mainly comprise the publicly funded third level institutions. However, there are a number of religious and other institutions that have been admitted to the scheme over the years. Any extension of the existing arrangements in relation to the scope of the scheme to include courses in private colleges, such as the Connaught College of Hairdressing in Galway, must be considered in the light of overall resource constraints and the competing demands within the education sector.
The question of the eligibility of the student in question to social welfare benefits or allowances is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Coughlan.