Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 738: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if there is discrimination against lone parents in the third level grant scheme, when for reasons of support other than financial support the applicant lives at home with their parents, has their own income, is of an age to be considered an independent mature student but is still deemed to be assessed on their parents reckonable income for third level grant purposes; if this is legal; if it is discrimination; her plans to change this anomaly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20229/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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For the purposes of determining grant eligibility under my Department's Maintenance Grants Schemes, reckonable income is defined for the purposes of the 2007 Scheme as all amounts received or receivable by an individual without reference to his/her residence or domicile, from both Irish and foreign sources, which are liable to Irish Income Tax, Irish Capital Gains Tax or Irish Capital Acquisitions Tax, or which would be so liable but for exemptions and reliefs contained in Irish legislation, and corresponding amounts received or receivable by individuals resident in another EU Member State which are liable to Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Inheritance or Gift Taxes of that State, or which would be so liable but for exemptions and reliefs contained in the legislation of that State.

The candidate's reckonable income for the purposes of the means test is his/her gross income from all sources and the gross income of his/her parents or guardians, where applicable, with certain specified Social Welfare and Health Service Executive Payments being exempt. Grant assistance may not be awarded in any case where the reckonable income exceeds the prescribed income limits for the award of a grant.

Mature students are categorised as either "independent mature students" or "mature students dependent on parents". An independent mature student is defined to mean a mature student who was not ordinarily resident at home with his/her parents from the October preceding their entry to an approved course. Independent mature students are assessed without reference to either their parents' income or address.

When assessing the means of students other than independent mature students, the students' means and those of their parents /guardians must be below a prescribed limit. This provision requires that parental income be taken into account irrespective of the individual circumstances.

In the details presented by the Deputy, grant applicants who are lone parents residing with their parents are assessed with reference to both the parental address and income.

The provisions in the Higher Education Grant Schemes, in respect of mature students, are provided for in the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Act, 1992.