Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 553: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the statutory instrument that precludes students of distance learning courses from support under the higher education grants scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37432/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The statutory framework for the maintenance grants scheme, as set out in the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1969 to 1992, provides for means-tested higher education grants in order to assist students to attend full-time third level education. An approved course, for the purposes of the Higher Education Grants Scheme is, generally speaking, a full-time undergraduate course of not less than two years duration or a full-time postgraduate course of not less than one-year duration pursued in an approved third-level institution. The institutions approved under the Scheme are, generally speaking, publicly funded third level colleges offering full-time courses at undergraduate and post-graduate level. Distance learning courses are regarded as part-time programmes of study. Accordingly such courses are not included under the Higher Education Grants Scheme.