Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 240: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if there are mechanisms available to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare with regard to obtaining grant or financial assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36117/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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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 are the higher education grants scheme, the vocational education committees' scholarship scheme, the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees and maintenance grants scheme for students attending post leaving certificate, PLC, courses.

The decision on eligibility for third level grants is a matter for the relevant local authority or VEC. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is desired. It appears that no such advice or instruction has, to date, been sought in the case of the student, referred to by the Deputy.

Officials of my Department have contacted both Kildare County Council and Kildare VEC and they have no record of receiving an application from the candidate in question. The candidate should therefore apply to his or her relevant awarding body in the first instance. If an individual applicant considers that he or she has been unjustly refused a maintenance grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, he or she 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 schemes 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, in exceptional circumstances, seek clarification on issues from my Department. However, it is not open to me, or my Department, to depart from the terms of the maintenance grants schemes in individual cases.

Apart from the funding provided through the student support maintenance grant schemes, financial assistance is also available from my Department through the student assistance fund. The objective of the fund is 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. Further information on this fund is available from the student access officer at the college being attended.