Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if information will be forwarded to the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee on a person (details supplied) in Dublin 6W to enable them to access an education grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19645/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The position is that responsibility for the allocation of education grants rests with the Department of Education and Skills and educational bodies operating under that Department's aegis and not with the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department. However, the INIS is happy to provide the Department of Education and Skills, or any statutory educational authority, with any clarification needed on a non-EU national person's position in the State so that such information can be used to support the educational authority's decision making process.

In relation to the case of the person concerned, I understand that he raised a query with the INIS in October 2009 in relation to his possible entitlement to an education grant and, in a response dated 29 October 2009, a representative of the INIS advised him that his query should be addressed to the relevant educational authority who could, if necessary, contact the INIS for clarification on his immigration status.

I am informed that there is no outstanding query with the INIS from the educational authority referred to, however, in light of the Deputy's Question, I have asked that a representative of the INIS might contact the relevant educational authority in the coming days so that the matter can be progressed.