John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 511: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the grants available to a mature student who wishes to sit the leaving certificate exams in County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5185/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department does not provide specific grants for mature students who wish to sit the leaving certificate exams. However, my Department funds a number of maintenance grant schemes for third level and PLC students. 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 these schemes, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet prescribed conditions of funding, including those which relate to age, residence, means, nationality and previous academic attainment. The Deputy may also be aware of the back to education allowance (BTEA), a second chance education opportunities scheme operated by the Department of Social and Family Affairs. It is designed to remove the barriers to participation in second and third level education, and encourages and facilitates people on certain social welfare payments to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force. The Deputy may wish to ascertain the details of this scheme from my colleague, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs.