Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 493: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if there are plans to incorporate mortgage payments into the assessment of student grants in view of the fact that many families are under huge pressure to make monthly payments and that their gross income is a poor reflection on their disposable income; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30770/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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 payments being excluded from the calculation.

Under the schemes reckonable income is defined as income from:

Employment/Pensions;

Self Employment/Farming;

Rent and income from Land/Property;

Deposit/Investment Accounts;

Maintenance Arrangements;

Gifts/Inheritances and Disposal of Assets and Rights;

Social Welfare /Health Service Executive in certain circumstances.

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