Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of grants to former residents of institutions and their relatives to assist them in availing of educational services that have been paid under the criteria for awarding grants by the Education Finance Board; the number of such applications that have been received; the number that have been decided on; the average payment in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7605/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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From enquiries made with the Education Finance Board, I understand that the Board approved 1,124 grants during 2012. The corresponding figures for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 were 892, 1200, 1526, 1914, 1901 and 2108 respectively. Since 2006 a total of 10,665 grants have been approved from 11,392 applications, with the remaining 727 being unsuccessful or withdrawn.

The Board indicated in November 2011 that it expected that the funds available to it would be fully allocated on applications already received and accordingly it publicised that it would not be in a position to process any applications received after 30th November, 2011. The Board has advised that its criteria specified the maximum amounts of awards payable in individual circumstances and that it does not calculate average grant payments.