Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 487: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she is satisfied that a person (details supplied) who had to leave college without finishing the first year in 1999, having received no grant aid, should now be refused grant aid for a PLC course; if the situation will be re-examined; her views on whether this is a long term loss to the person and the State. [30879/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I understand that the student referred to by the Deputy pursued a secretarial course in 1999, but did not complete the course, and now hopes to return to a Beauty Therapy course at the same level. Clause 6.3.6 of the 2006 PLC Scheme states:

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 Education Committee will have discretion to waive this provision in exceptional circumstances such as certified serious illness.

Therefore as the student referred to by the Deputy hopes to pursue a course in 2006 of the same level she pursued in 1999 she is not eligible to be assessed under the terms of the PLC Scheme in respect of her intended course. Generally speaking students are eligible to be considered for grant assistance in respect of only one PLC Course. Clause 3.2 of the PLC Scheme sets out the circumstances under which grant assistance may be awarded in respect of subsequent study at PLC Level — i.e where a candidate already holds a qualification no higher than Fetac Level 5 and are now pursuing a course that offers progression he or she may be deemed eligible for grant aid. It is not open to me, or to my Department, to depart from the terms of the schemes in individual cases.