Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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109. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a grant application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5029/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The purpose of the remote area boarding grant scheme is to give students who are disadvantaged because of their remoteness from schools an opportunity to attend school on the same basis as students not so disadvantaged. 

The terms of this scheme are set out in Circular 16/2016 which is published on my Department’s website at

www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0016_2016.pdf.

The grant is paid to students whose normal place of residence is outside the range of public transport services to a school providing free second-level education. 

Under the terms of the scheme, a suitable second level school is a school which is recognised by the Department for the purpose of providing the prescribed certificate course which enters its students for the State examinations and is subject to inspection by my Department. The curriculum choices provided by a school within 25 km of the applicant’s normal place of residence is not a factor in the determination of eligibility for the award of a grant.

The application referred to by the Deputy does not meet the qualifying criteria as the student resides less than 25km from Colaiste Ghobnatan, the nearest all-Irish medium second level school.