Written answers

Tuesday, 11 March 2008

Department of Education and Science

Higher Education Grants

8:00 pm

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 425: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the conditions under which a special rate of maintenance grant is paid; the reason a student whose parents' reckonable income is less than €18,055 is turned down for the grant on the basis of the length of time they were on unemployment assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10510/08]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The decision on eligibility for third level grants is a matter for the relevant assessing authority — i.e. the local authority or VEC. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is required. The report of the Action Group on Access to Third Level Education made detailed recommendations concerning the introduction of special rates of maintenance grants for disadvantaged students.

The target group of "those most in need" was defined in terms of the dependants of people receiving long-term welfare payments, where the necessary conditions are fulfilled. The Special Rate of Maintenance Grant is available to students in receipt of the ordinary maintenance grant under each of my Department's four maintenance grant schemes. In order to qualify for the special rate of maintenance 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. It is not proposed to depart from the existing arrangements for the determination of the eligibility threshold.

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