Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 474: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason she cannot sanction a grant to students who are doing a degree course in a college (details supplied) in Dublin 10; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the students feel they are being discriminated against due to the fact that they attend a college of further education as opposed to an institute; if her further attention has been drawn to the fact that students are being prohibited from doing this course as there is no financial assistance available to them; her views on the fact that education is a right and not a privilege; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36349/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students. These are the Higher Education Grants (HEG) Scheme, the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarships Scheme, the Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees and the Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students attending Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) Courses. The HEG Scheme is administered by the Local Authorities on behalf of my Department, the other three maintenance grant schemes are administered on a similar basis by the VECs.

The PLC Scheme prescribes the terms and conditions of funding in respect of students attending courses in approved PLC Centres. The other three schemes govern the award of grants to students attending approved courses in approved third level institutions. Grant applicants must be assessed by the awarding bodies with reference to the terms and conditions prescribed in the Scheme relevant to the course being pursued and the college being attended.

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 may be deemed eligible for grant aid.

While the course in question is listed as an approved PLC course, grant applicants pursuing the course are subject to the terms and conditions of funding prescribed in the PLC scheme.

I have no plans at present to alter the terms of the PLC Scheme in order to allow students who already hold a third level qualification including a BTEC Higher National Diploma course to continue to receive PLC grant assistance.