Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 416: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the amount of education grants payable under the millennium education grant scheme for the most recent years for which figures are available; the nature of the organisations which qualify to receive this funding; if the social inclusion programmes are extended to other areas will they qualify for this Millennium Fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22766/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Millennium Partnership Fund is made available through the National Office for Equity of Access to Third Level Education to Pobal who distribute the allocations to the participating Partnership Companies and Community Partnerships. The Fund was launched in September 2000. It forms part of the European Social Fund-aided package for education disadvantage at further and higher education. The objective of the fund is to support students from disadvantaged areas with regard to retention and participation in further or higher education courses.

The nature of the organisations which are eligible to apply for funding are partnership companies and community partnerships participating in the Local Development Social Inclusion Programme (LDSIP). Under the LDSIP no further partnership companies or community partnerships will be admitted. The table below sets out the allocations since the Fund was introduced in 2000.