James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 356: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if Polish residents, resident and educated here, are entitled to grant support for third level colleges in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28382/07]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 357: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the EU residents here who are entitled to grants for fees and other assistance for third level education in colleges in Ireland; the conditions that may be applicable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28383/07]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 358: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if Romanian nationals legally resident and educated here are entitled to grant assistance for third level education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28387/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 356 to 358, inclusive, together.

My Department funds three maintenance grant schemes for third level students which are administered by the Local Authorities and the Vocational Education Committees. These are the Higher Education Grants Scheme, the Vocational Education committees' Scholarship Scheme, the Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees and the Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students attending Post Leaving Certificate Courses. The Higher Education Grants Scheme is administered by the Local Authorities. The other three schemes are administered by the Vocational Education Committees. Under the terms of the maintenance grants schemes grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to age, residence, means, nationality and previous academic attainment.

The nationality requirement as set out in the 2007 Grant Schemes states:Candidates must:—

hold E.U. Nationality; or

have Official Refugee Status; or

have been granted Humanitarian Leave to Remain in the State (prior to the Immigration Act 1999); or

be a person in respect of whom the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has granted permission to remain following a determination not to make a deportation order under section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999; or

have permission to remain in the State by virtue of marriage to an Irish national residing in the State, or be the child of such person, not having EU nationality; or

have permission to remain in the State by virtue of marriage to a national of another EU Member State who is residing in the State and who is or has been employed, or self-employed, in the State, or be the child of such a person, not having EU nationality; or

be nationals of a member country of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.

Under the Residency requirement of the Schemes, the candidates' parents/guardians, or, in the case of an independent mature candidate, the candidate himself/herself must have been resident in the State from 1st October of the year prior to entry to an approved course. The assessing authorities do, however, have discretion to waive this requirement in exceptional cases.