Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 171: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if and when a top-up grant of €2,000 on foot of a maintenance grant paid in 2004 to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare under the 2004-05 PLC maintenance grant scheme will be awarded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15851/06]

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 maintenance grant scheme in respect of students attending approved post-leaving certificate courses in approved PLC centres: the higher education grants scheme; the vocational education committees' scholarship scheme; the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees; and the maintenance grant scheme for students attending post-leaving certificate courses.

The candidate to whom the Deputy refers was attending a post-leaving certificate course in 2004-05. To qualify for the top-up grant all candidates must satisfy the following conditions: qualify for the ordinary maintenance grant in respect of the relevant academic year — 2004-05 in this case; total reckonable income in the tax year to 31 December 2003 must not exceed €14,693 — net of standard exclusions, as set out in the 2004 maintenance grants scheme, and net of CDA payments, where applicable; and as at 31 December 2003, the reckonable income of parent/s or guardian/s, the candidate himself or herself, or the income of the spouse or partner, as the case may be, must include one of the eligible social welfare payments prescribed under the scheme.

Decisions on applications are taken by the awarding authority based on the conditions and terms issued by my Department. My Department has asked Kildare VEC, the awarding authority in this case, to re-examine the application submitted in respect of the 2004-05 academic year to determine whether the student was eligible for the top-up grant. The student will be notified of the outcome of the review.