Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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200. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 285 of 23 May 2024, if the case and correspondence will be further reviewed (details supplied); if the required statutory instrument could be amended or reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24260/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011 outlines the position with regard to approved institutions for the purposes of the Student Grant Scheme.

As the education provider in question is an approved Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) centre it is comprehended within Section 7(1)(d) of the Act as an “education institution in the State in receipt of grants out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas for the provision of post-leaving certificate courses”.

Under the Student Grant Scheme Further Education Centres are not designated as approved third level institutions for the purposes of providing higher education awards.

If a change was to be considered this would be a policy change which would have wider impacts than the Student Grant Scheme. The Department reviews policy on an ongoing basis, having regard to overall resource constraints and other competing demands in the further and higher education sector.