Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister, Deputy Quinn, recently nailed his colours to the mast in expressing his bias against the sole trader and, in particular, the farming community. He made an unfounded allegation that they could manipulate their incomes so as to obtain grants. Last week, the Minister confirmed that it is his intention to bring proposals to the Government to classify working farms as so-called capital assets for the purpose of calculating eligibility for a third level grants.

If the proposal were to be accepted, it would severely discriminate against the farming community and sole traders. The reality is that most farm families, or most people farming, do not have an income in excess of €20,000, as the Taoiseach knows. Can he allay the fears of his backbenchers by stating he will not accept any proposal that would deviate from the principle of assessing income alone when students are being assessed for eligibility for third level grants, and that he will refuse utterly to go along with the proposal of the Minister on capital assets?

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