Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 291: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo can get grant assistance for their third level studies in view of the fact that they live in an isolated disadvantaged area and there are two members of the family in third level education and they are not able to manage financially. [43043/06]

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 Education Committees on behalf of my Department.

Under the terms of the Maintenance Grants Scheme for Post Leaving Certificate Courses 2006, grants are available to eligible candidates who are entering approved PLC courses for the first time in the 2006/2007 academic year. Candidates are ineligible if they already hold a FETAC Level 5 qualification (formerly known as a FETAC (NCVA) Level 2 qualification) a FETAC Level 6 qualification (formerly known as a FETAC (NCVA) Level 3 qualification) or a third level qualification at Level 6 or higher. However, notwithstanding this condition candidates who already hold a qualification no higher than FETAC Level 5 (formerly known as a FETAC (NCVA) Level 2) and are now pursuing a course that offers progression may be deemed eligible for grant aid.

My Department understands that the candidate, referred to by the Deputy, holds a FETAC Level 5 in Secretarial Studies. As outlined above, the candidate is ineligible for grant assistance in respect of the PLC Montessori course being pursued in the current academic year as it leads to a second FETAC Level 5 qualification.

The Deputy will appreciate that the terms of the schemes are of general application and it is not open to me or my Department to depart from the terms of the scheme and make exceptions in individual cases.