Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 225: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will support the case of a person (details supplied). [24920/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The decision on eligibility for maintenance grants is a matter for the relevant local authority or VEC. These bodies 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. When assessing the means of students other than independent mature students, the means test provision of the scheme specifies that the students' means and those of their parents or guardians must be below a prescribed limit. This provision requires that parental income be taken into account irrespective of the individual circumstances in any case where the student is not an independent mature student.

Under the Higher Education Grants Scheme an approved course is defined as a full-time undergraduate course of at least two years duration or a full-time postgraduate course of not less than one year duration pursued in an approved institution. An approved institution is defined to mean a university, college or other institution of higher education in so far as it provides a course or courses of not less than two years duration, being a course, or courses, which the Minister for Education and Science approves for the time being for the purposes of the Acts. The Higher Education Grants Scheme specifies a list of approved institutions. For a number of the institutions only specified courses are approved. The courses in these particular institutions are reviewed annually. Mater Dei Institute of Education is one of those approved institutions under which specified programmes listed.

The Deputy's question refers to a student participating on a BA in Education in English & Religion. As this is not listed in the 2007 Grant Scheme, students on this course would not be considered for funding under the terms and conditions of the Higher Education Grant Scheme. The Deputy will appreciate that the terms of the schemes are of general application and it is not open to me to make exceptions in individual cases.