Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 540: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will confirm the reckonable income guideline for the special rate of maintenance grant of €20,147 has been increased for the academic year 2008-09; if not, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that small increases in social welfare payments, for example invalidity pension, derived by parents of otherwise qualifying children, will mean that they will be unable to receive this special top up maintenance grant; and if, in this context, he will take steps to ensure that the said reckonable income for the top up grant would be increased beyond €20,147 in view of the hardship it would impose upon applicants and parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38472/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The process of reviewing income limits for the standard and Special Rate of Maintenance Grants has been completed in my Department and will apply for the 2008/09 academic year. The current income limit for the Special Rate has been substantially increased by 11.6% from €18,055 to €20,147.

I am committed to ongoing improvements in the student support schemes such as increasing the income limits as resources permit.