Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 312: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason the higher education grants have not been substantially increased in view of the cost of maintaining a student at a third level institution; if her attention has been drawn to the financial hardship that is being endured by many families particularly where there is more than one family member at a third level institution; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31227/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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This Government has shown a clear determination to dramatically improve the financial support available to those students who need it most. We introduced a Top Up Grant, which currently benefits over 12,000 students this year. The higher, non-adjacent special rate of maintenance is based on the maximum personal rate of Social Welfare Unemployment Assistance. This year the top up grant was increased by 22.5%. Indeed, with the increases that we have provided in recent years, the maximum amount of grant support available this year (including top-up) is €5,970, compared to just €2,032 in 1996/97. The payment rates for the ordinary maintenance grants have also been increased in recent years.

In relation to the reckonable income limits under the maintenance grant schemes, the practice in recent years has been to increase the limits at least in line with movements in the average industrial wage in the previous year in the reference period (September to September). This year, an increase of 5.3% was approved, in the reckonable income limits for the 2006/2007 academic year, as has the allowance by which the income limits may be increased for each dependant where two or more children are in further or higher education. This increase was ahead of the 3.2% increase in the relevant reference period. The top income limit has been increased from €44,350 to €46,700 (where there are less than four children). Higher income thresholds than this apply in cases where there are 4 or more dependent children in the family. The annual income threshold for the special rates of maintenance grant has been increased, in line with the relevant social welfare payments by over 7%.

Over €228 million has been allocated for third level maintenance grants in 2006. This Government is committed to ongoing improvements in the student support schemes, including increasing the value of maintenance grants and increasing the income limits, as resources permit.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 313: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if all social welfare payments are taken into consideration when calculating eligibility for a higher education grant; if family income supplement and farm assist payments are considered in such calculations; her plan to review this policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31228/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The assessment of means under my Department's Third Level Student Maintenance Grant Schemes is based on gross income from all sources, with specified social welfare and health service executive payments being excluded from the calculation. The following Social Welfare and Health Service Executive Payments are excluded in the calculation of reckonable income:—

Child Benefit

Family Income Supplement

Disability Allowance (where paid to the candidate)

Blind Pension (where paid to the candidate)

Means Tested One Parent Family Payments

Orphan's Pensions

Back to Education Allowance

Foster Care Allowance

Domiciliary Care Allowance and

Carer's Allowance.

I have no plans at present to depart from the above practice in respect of the determination of income.