Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 595: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department will approve assistance for a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary. [21077/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Free Fees Initiative, my Department meets the tuition fees of eligible students who are attending full-time undergraduate courses in the State, which must be of at least two years duration, at approved college. As the candidate referred to by the Deputy is studying abroad he is ineligible under the Free Fee Initiative. Even if the candidate was pursuing his undergraduate course in the state he would still be ineligible as he is not a first time undergraduate. These restrictions apply to every student who already holds a qualification at any level, irrespective of where that qualification was obtained. Under the terms of the third level student support schemes, maintenance grants are not payable to candidates who already hold an undergraduate degree and are pursuing a second period of undergraduate study at the same level, irrespective of whether or not a grant was paid previously.

I understand that the student referred to by the Deputy already holds a Degree in Public Administration from the University of Limerick, he is therefore ineligible for a higher education grant. As the rules governing the schemes are of general application, exceptions cannot be made in individual instances.

Tax relief, is however, available in respect of undergraduate fees paid in publicly funded colleges here and in other EU Member States, as well as in private colleges in the State. This relief applies at the standard rate of tax and is available to full time students and part time postgraduate students. Further details and conditions in relation to this tax relief are available from local Tax Offices.