Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 226: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Clare will be facilitated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25547/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under the prescribed terms and conditions of my Department's student maintenance grant schemes grant assistance may not generally be awarded in respect of a repeat period of study at the same level, irrespective of whether or not funding was previously awarded. The awarding body may, however, waive this provision in exceptional circumstances — example, certified serious illness. In such cases decisions are made by the assessing authority on a case by case basis. It should be emphasised, however, that this discretion would generally only be exercised where a candidate is repeating a period of study on the same course.

My Department understands, from the information provided by the Deputy on the candidate referred to, that the candidate has already pursued year two of a two-year Business Studies course and is now repeating second year — the final year of the programme. The decision on eligibility for repeat year funding is a matter for the relevant assessing authority which I understand is County Clare VEC in this case. The assessing authorities do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is desired.

If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a maintenance grant she/he may appeal in the first instance to the relevant assessing authority. Where an individual applicant has an appeal turned down by the relevant assessing authority, and remains of the view that the body has not interpreted the schemes correctly in his/her case, an official appeal form (available from the assessing authority) outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the Higher Education: Equity of Access unit in my Department.