Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 527: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will consider an application for a PLC maintenance grant under appeal on medical grounds for a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [11145/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under my Department's Maintenance Grant Scheme for Students attending Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses Clause 6.3.6 provides as follows; "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 only in exceptional circumstances such as serious certified illness."

My Department understands that the student referred to by the Deputy is currently attending the Diploma in Advertising and Public Relations [FETAC Level 5] at Cork College of Commerce. This student previously attended a PLC course in Electronics at the Galway Technical Institute from September 2003 to February 2004, also a FETAC Level 5 course. As this student did not enter an approved PLC course for the first time when commencing the current course in Cork College of Commerce funding cannot be approved under the PLC Scheme.

The award of funding for a repeat period of study, on the basis of certified serious illness, can only be considered where the student is returning to complete the original course studied. As the student in question has moved to a different course at the same level, in a different institution, the VEC cannot award repeat funding under the provisions of Clause 6.3.6 of the PLC Scheme.