Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 171: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary should have qualified for a higher education grant. [17694/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Maintenance Grant Scheme for Students attending Post Leaving Certificate courses is administered by the Vocational Educational Committees on behalf of my Department. Under the Scheme eligible students may continue to receive grant assistance for the normal duration of an approved course subject to the usual terms and conditions of funding. In this regard clause 6.3 provides, inter alia, that a grant is tenable for the normal duration of the approved PLC Course and is renewable annually subject to satisfactory participation, attendance and the approval of the Vocational Education Committee. Grants may not be paid in respect of a second period of attendance at the same level for a course approved for the purposes of this scheme, irrespective of whether or not a grant was paid previously. The Vocational Educational Committee will have discretion to waive this provision in exceptional circumstances such as serious certified illness.

I understand from Tipperary SR VEC, the awarding body in this case, that the candidate referred to by the Deputy has entered two previous PLC Courses at FETAC level 5 (formally known as FETAC level 2) and did not complete either. I regret that under the above provisions of the PLC Scheme the candidate in question is ineligible to receive any PLC funding in respect of her current course.

Where funding in respect of a repeat period of study at the same level is awarded on the basis of exceptional circumstances, such as serious certified illness, it would generally be where the student has suffered from a serious illness that has directly impacted on their ability to successfully complete the period concerned. The medical grounds submitted to date in respect of the candidate do not justify consideration under the exceptional circumstance provision of the scheme.