Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 219: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 256 of 26 May 2010, and in view of the success of the demonstration library programme addressing literacy difficulties, if she will give a commitment to renew the contracts of the existing 30 librarians who are critical to the success of this project. [24058/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students which are administered by the Local Authorities and the Vocational Education Committees. The Higher Education Grant Scheme operates under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992. Students who are entering approved courses for the first time are eligible for maintenance grants where they satisfy the relevant conditions as to age, residence, means and nationality.

The Third Level maintenance grant schemes were extended to provide maintenance grants to eligible students pursuing approved full-time undergraduate courses of at least two years duration (pursued in a university or a third level institution which is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds) in other EU Member States with effect from the 1996/97 academic year. The extension of the Schemes at that time did not include courses at postgraduate level within EU or to undergraduate courses outside the EU and, accordingly, there is no grant aid available under my Department's student grant schemes for students pursuing studies outside of the EU.