Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 1422: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will review the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry who has been turned down for a top up maintenance grant due to the fact that they are €200 over the limit for reckonable income. [43787/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In order to qualify for the special rate of maintenance (sometimes known as the 'top-up' grant) a candidate must meet a number of conditions, including the following:

1. An applicant must qualify for the ordinary maintenance grant.

2. Total reckonable income in the relevant tax year must not exceed the lower income limits as set out in the relevant Maintenance Grant Schemes and, where applicable, net of Child Dependent Increase payments.

3. As at the prescribed date — i.e. 31st December each year — the source of income must include one of the eligible long-term Social Welfare payments.

I understand that the candidate referred to by the Deputy was not eligible for the special rate of maintenance grant as the reckonable income exceeded the prescribed limit for the academic year 2006/2007 which is €16,748.

I regret that it is not possible to allow grant aid where reckonable income exceeds the prescribed limits irrespective of the particular circumstances.

Financial Assistance is also available from my Department through the Student Assistance Fund which is ESF-aided and administered by the National Office for Equity of Access to Third Level Education (National Office).

This Fund assists students who, having commenced a third-level course, experience financial hardship and, therefore, may be unable to continue their third-level studies. Applications for funding should be made by the individual student to the Access Officer in the institution in which they are studying. The Fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis.

The Millennium Partnership Fund is a community-based fund that supports retention and participation among under-represented groups of students in further or higher education. Partnership Companies and Community Groups manage the Fund locally. The Fund is managed on behalf of my Department by Pobal, the state company established to promote social inclusion, reconciliation and equality in Ireland, in consultation with the National Office for Equity of Access to Third Level Education. Applications for Millennium funding are made annually by the Partnership Companies and Community Groups through Pobal.