Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 261: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if a mature student who qualifies for a third level grant and who lives away from their parents has that grant included in the calculation of means for rent allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17443/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Rent supplements are available to eligible people through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Neither I nor my Department has any function in determining entitlement in individual cases. Under Section 190(1) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005, people in full-time education are not normally eligible to receive assistance, including rent supplements, under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. Therefore, the question of including or excluding the value of a third level grant does not arise. However, there is provision for retention of rent supplement by qualifying social welfare scheme recipients, in the specific situation where they resume full-time education after a defined period with the assistance of the back to education allowance scheme. People participating in approved courses under this facility receive a standard weekly rate of payment equivalent to the maximum rate of their relevant social welfare payment and may retain any secondary benefits, such as rent supplements, which may have been in payment prior to participating in the scheme. Any third level grant that is payable to the person is disregarded in the means assessment for rent supplement in these particular circumstances.