Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 201: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a higher education grant is payable in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15780/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under the terms of the Third Level Student Support Schemes, administered by the Local Authorities and Vocational Education Committees on behalf of my Department, a student is not eligible for grant assistance in respect of a second period of study at the same level, irrespective of whether or not a grant was paid previously.

The schemes also provide that grants may not be paid to candidates who already hold a postgraduate qualification and are pursuing a second postgraduate qualification.

However, the grant scheme was amended to provide financial assistance to eligible candidates who already hold a postgraduate qualification and who wish to enter a further postgraduate course at a higher level, which represents progression from the level at which the first qualification was attained.

I understand that the candidate referred to by the Deputy is currently pursuing a postgraduate course and wishes to subsequently undertake a further postgraduate course at Higher Diploma level. It would appear that the Higher Diploma will not represent progression in this instance and the candidate, therefore, would not be eligible for grant assistance.

It is not open to me, or my Department, to depart from the terms of the maintenance grants schemes in individual cases.