Education Schemes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 July 2012

Tuesday, 17 July 2012

Ceisteanna (145)

Olivia Mitchell

Ceist:

147 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm that students who started a funded course under the labour market activation scheme have now lost that funding since the termination of that scheme and the advent of the Springboard scheme and consequently cannot complete the course; if he will clarify the situation in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 20; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34633/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn)

The Labour Market Activation Scheme (LMA), which was introduced in 2009, provided for 1,500 free undergraduate and 1,000 free postgraduate places for unemployed people on part time courses in universities and institutes of technology across the country.

Only those part time courses approved and selected by an independent evaluation panel were eligible for funding under the LMA initiative. Students who commenced an approved LMA course were funded until completion of that course, subject to continuing to meet requirements of the programme. The course referred to by the Deputy is a full time programme and was not an approved LMA course. Students on this course would therefore not have been eligible for funding through the LMA initiative.

I understand that the student in question has been advised that as he is pursuing a full time course he may be eligible for support under the Student Grant Scheme and that he should contact the relevant grant awarding authority in this regard.