Mater Dei grant eligibility
Taylor argues that Mater Dei students should qualify for grants because their four-year course is validated and its qualification is accepted for teaching. The Minister refuses to change the exclusion for courses essentially in religious studies; the Chair then moves on to remaining questions.
asked the Minister for Education if he will remove the anomaly whereby third level students in the Mater Dei Institute, Dublin, are ineligible for higher education grants.
Comment on this
Courses which in content and character are essentially courses in religious studies have not heretofore been accepted for the purpose of the tenure of grants under the higher education grants scheme. I do not propose to make any change in that position.
Comment on this
Would the Minister agree that it is entirely illogical that third level students of the Mater Dei Institute in Dublin, doing a four-year course which is validated by Saint Patrick's College, Maynooth, whose qualification is accepted by his own Department for teaching purposes at second level, should be debarred in this way?
Comment on this
It has always been the position that any courses which in any sense have an element of religious studies in them are not recognised for the purposes of secular education grants.
Comment on this
Would the Minister agree that, while it has always been the position until now, logic requires that now is the time to change it?