Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 475: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if top up grants for third level education will be available to all students in County Laois under funding provided from his Department under the LDSIP programme or other programmes for the 2006 and 2007 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27344/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Payment of education grants to third level students, including the Millennium Partnership Fund for Disadvantage, is a matter in the first place for my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science. I am informed that under the Local Development Social Inclusion Programme (LDSIP), some funds at local level are allocated to supplement the Millennium Partnership Fund for Disadvantage. The Deputy will be aware that at present the LDSIP is area based and does not cover the entire county of Laois.

The Deputy will also be aware that my intention is to establish integrated local delivery structures for local development programmes and rural development programmes, which will be capable of delivering programmes such as the LDSIP on countrywide basis, which will, in turn, enable the consideration of the payment of top up grants to students based on circumstances rather than the areas where they reside.