Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 469: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive the third level maintenance grant. [25036/07]

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.

Students are eligible to be considered for grant assistance in respect of one approved 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 is now pursuing a course that offers progression which may be deemed eligible for grant aid.

The candidate referred to by the Department should apply, if they have not already done so, to their local VEC to establish eligibility for assistance for the Level 5 Certificate course in Horticulture.

Eligibility for grant assistance, in the case referred to by the Deputy, is a matter for the relevant VEC to establish.