Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 246: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) in County Kildare will qualify on their status for a third level grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9573/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for a student's local grant awarding body – the relevant local authority or VEC. In the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form, including those relating to age, residence, means, nationality and previous academic attainment, the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a student would qualify for a grant. However, the specific clause relating to nationality in the 2010 student grant schemes stipulates that: Candidates must be a national of – (i) an EU Member State, (ii) a state which is a contracting state to the EEA Agreement, (iii) the Swiss Confederation, or - a refugee or other person entitled for the time being to the rights and privileges specified in section 3 of the Refugee Act 1996; or - be a person, pursuant to the European Communities (Eligibility for Protection) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 518 of 2006) –

(i) who the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has determined is eligible for the time being for subsidiary protection pursuant to Regulation 4 of those Regulations, or

(ii) to whom the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has granted permission for the time being in writing to enter and reside in the State pursuant to Regulation 16 of those Regulations; or - have permission to remain in the State as a family member of a Union citizen under the provisions of the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations 2006 and 2008 and Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council; or - have permission to remain in the State by virtue of marriage to an Irish national residing in the State, or be the dependent child of such person, not having EU nationality; or - have been granted Humanitarian Leave to Remain in the State (prior to the Immigration Act 1999); or - be a person in respect of whom the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has granted permission to remain following a determination not to make a deportation order under section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 Again, as nationality is only one aspect of a student grant application, the student in question is advised to submit a fully completed application form to his/her grant awarding authority to establish eligibility or otherwise for a grant. Further useful information on the student grant schemes is available on the studentfinance.ie website.