Written answers

Wednesday, 28 September 2005

Department of Education and Science

Educational Disadvantage

9:00 pm

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 1293: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason she has failed to make details available on the socioeconomic background of students who were awarded higher education grants for the academic year 2002-03 despite a parliamentary question being tabled; when the information will be made available and when she sought the information from the relevant grant awarding authorities. [25864/05]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Following a detailed review of the type of information previously collected in respect of the higher education grants scheme, statistical forms in respect of the 2002-03 and 2003-04 academic years issued in August 2004 to each of the 33 local authorities. My Department is in the process of collating information on students who were awarded grants under the higher education grants scheme for these academic years from the returns that have been submitted to date from the local authorities. There are a number of returns outstanding for 2002-03 and 2003-04 which my Department is pursuing with the local authorities and the County and City Managers' Association.

Following consultations with the Irish Vocational Education Association, new arrangements were introduced earlier this year to compile a more comprehensive statistical break-down of grantholders under the schemes administered by the VECs. This complements arrangements in place in respect of the higher education grants scheme. While the majority of awarding bodies have at this stage returned completed forms for 2003-04, officials in my Department are continuing to communicate with those from whom completed forms are still outstanding.

Statistical forms in respect of 2004-05 issued to the local authorities and VECs in July 2005 and a number of these have been returned to the Department. On receipt of the outstanding statistical forms for 2002-03 from the local authorities, my Department will be in a position to compile and analyse the relevant statistics in respect of socioeconomic background and other relevant classifications for the year. The information will be made available to the Deputy as soon as they are compiled.

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