Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 142: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if changes have been agreed with Bus Éireann relating to the tendering of school routes for the 2009-2010 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32853/09]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Bus Éireann operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department. This involves a range of activities in relation to school bus routes including planning of routes, tendering arrangements, and negotiation of contracts with private operators.

Each year, including this year, Bus Éireann placed general advertisements in the press inviting private operators who were interested in providing services under the school transport scheme to make application to their local Bus Eireann office. Following evaluation of the applications and an assessment of potential operators taking into account for example proximity to routes, size of bus, standard of vehicle documentation, a proportion of existing routes including taxi services and new work were opened to tender.

In view of the level of interest expressed by potential candidates and in the prevailing market conditions it was possible for Bus Éireann to renegotiate a significant number of contracts in addition to employing new operators in respect of the 2009/2010 school year. ^^ Higher Education Grants. ^^

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 143: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a grant assistance is available to a student (details supplied) in County Roscommon who is undertaking a master's; and if funding is available for mature Irish students studying abroad through the international fund for Ireland or the European Social Fund in Education. [32866/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The statutory framework for the maintenance grants scheme, as set out in the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992, provides for means-tested higher education grants in order to assist students to attend full-time third level education. The position is that the Third Level Student Support Schemes operated under my Department do not extend to postgraduate study outside of Ireland.

The student support schemes were extended to provide maintenance grants to eligible students pursuing certain full-time undergraduate courses of at least two years duration in another EU Member State, with effect from the 1996/97 academic year. The extension of the schemes at that time did not include courses at postgraduate level.

There are no plans at present to extend the current arrangements to provide for students pursuing post-graduate courses outside Ireland. Any such extension could only be considered in the light of available resources and other competing demands within the education sector.

However, Section 21 of the Finance Act 2000 provides for the introduction of tax relief for postgraduate fees paid in publicly funded colleges here and in other EU Member States as well as in private colleges in this state. This relief, which applies at the standard rate of tax, is available to full time and part time postgraduate students and includes distance education courses offered by publicly funded colleges in other EU Member States. Further details on claiming this relief are available from local tax offices or on Revenue's internet site at http://www.revenue.ie.

I am not aware of any specific funding measures for mature Irish students studying abroad under the funds mentioned by the Deputy.