Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 23: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the current difficulties being experienced by former workers (details supplied) who from 2010 have been studying a BA/ALBA degree course at All Hallows College, Drumcondra, Dublin 9, and with the ending of European globalisation funding in September now face the prospect of not being able to finish their degree studies. [14451/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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EGF co-funding of supports for redundant S R Technics workers finishes on 9 October 2011 under the relevant European Commission decision. This end-date has always been made clear to both the providers of supports to the redundant workers and to the representatives of those workers wishing to avail of those supports.

No additional national funding is available to fund continued study on this course in this private college after 9 October 2011.

However, if these students wish to continue their studies on this course in this private college on a full-time basis at their own expense they could engage with the college to seek a reduced full-time course fee and they would in these circumstances retain their Back to Education Allowance as an income support.

Alternatively, these students could possibly transfer or apply to other full-time courses in the public higher education system which are approved for the Free Fees Scheme. If they did so they would retain their Back to Education Allowance subject to meeting the relevant eligibility criteria of that scheme.