Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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187. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are funds within his Department to assist a person (details supplied) who is attending college overseas to become a doctor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43642/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Under the student grant scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding, provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution and meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those which relate to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment (progression) and means.

To satisfy the terms and conditions of the Student Grant Scheme in relation to progression, a student must be moving from year to year within a course having successfully completed the previous year or be transferring from one course to another where the award for the subsequent course is of a higher level than the previous course.

It would appear from the information provided by the Deputy, that the student in question will, among other things, not meet the progression criterion.

However, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education, including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU Member States and in non-EU countries.

Further information on this tax relief is available from the Revenue Commissioners at www.revenue.ie.