Liam Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 481: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will refer to representations of 13 September 2005 on behalf of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; if a decision has been made on the appeal which was lodged against the decision of Kilkenny County Council to refuse their higher education grant application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38042/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under the terms of my Department's third level student maintenance grant schemes, where the applicant is not an independent mature student, the reckonable income to be determined for the purposes of the award of the maintenance grant is income from all sources of the candidate and his or her parents or guardians where applicable.

The means test arrangements of the student maintenance grant schemes have been in operation since 1983 and are applied nationally. In the case of both the employed and self-employed gross income is assessed with certain specified social welfare and health board payments excluded.

The prescribed income limits may be increased by €4,295 where there are two children, or the candidate's parent, attending a full-time third level course, or €8,590 where there are three such children and so on, by increments of €4,295 for each additional child.

As all applications for financial support are means tested in accordance with the terms of the student maintenance grant schemes, a candidate shall not be eligible for a grant if the reckonable income for the purpose of the means testing is over the prescribed income limits irrespective of the individual circumstances.

It is understood from the awarding authority that the candidate referred to by the Deputy was not eligible for the maintenance grant as the reckonable income in this case exceeded the prescribed limit as set out in the higher education grant scheme. No appeal has been made to this Department against the decision of the awarding authority in this case.