Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. I thank the Senator for giving me this opportunity to outline the position of the Department of Education and Science on the third level Gaeltacht scholarship scheme.

The Department of Education and Science funds three Irish scholarship schemes which provide support for students progressing to third level education. These scholarships are designed specifically to recognise achievement through Irish and one of the them is exclusively for students from the Gaeltacht areas, namely, an scéim scoláireachtaí triú leibhéal do Scoláirí on nGaeltacht. Fifteen scholarships are awarded annually under this scheme to students from the Gaeltacht who sit their leaving certificate through Irish, who have attended an all-Irish second level school and reached a certain minimum standard in the leaving certificate.

The rate of scholarship is equivalent to the maximum standard rate of grant payable under the Department's maintenance grant schemes, although no means test applies in the case of these scholarships. Grants are paid at either of two rates. The non-adjacent rate is paid where the grant-holder's normal residence is more than 24 kilometres from the college attended. The adjacent rate is paid where the grant-holder's normal residence is 24 kilometres or less from the college attended. For the 2008-09 academic year, the non-adjacent rate of grant payable is €3,420, while the adjacent rate of grant payable is €1,370. All scholarships holders have received their full grant entitlement.

The Department of Education and Science operates a number of other third level scholarship schemes. These schemes have different criteria, requirements and objectives and, therefore, it is appropriate that there should be different terms and conditions pertaining to each. In addition to the Gaeltacht scholarship scheme, the Department of Education and Science provides other financial assistance to disadvantaged students, such as the student assistance fund and the millennium partnership fund. These two funds provide financial assistance for full-time higher education students who are experiencing financial difficulties while attending college. Students can apply for funding to help them with either temporary or ongoing financial difficulties. Each year, the State allocates a certain amount of student assistance funding to all publicly funded higher education colleges based on the size of the college's full-time student population. Students in need of financial support can then make application in the college for assistance under the fund.

The millennium partnership fund for disadvantage was launched in 2000 and its objective is to support students from disadvantaged areas with regard to the retention and participation in higher education courses. Area partnership companies and community partnerships manage the fund locally. Students in need of financial support in these areas can apply directly to their local community group for assistance from the fund. These funds are administered, on behalf of the Department, by the national office for equity of access to third level education. The schemes are funded by the Department of Education and Science under the National Development Plan 2007-2013, with assistance from the European Social Fund.

It is proposed to carry out a review of the three existing third level Irish scholarship schemes in the course of the current academic year to determine their continuing effectiveness in meeting their objectives. A range of issues, including the terms and conditions of the schemes, will be considered in the context of this review.