Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 300: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will change the rule whereby in some circumstances, married persons (details supplied) in Dublin 14 though living independently with their spouse and child, are assessed for mature student third level grant aid on the basis of their parents' income; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33141/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the relevant assessing authority, i.e. the applicant's local authority or VEC. An applicant may appeal the decision to the relevant local authority or VEC.

Where the assessing authority decides to reject the appeal, the applicant may appeal this decision to my Department by submitting an appeal form outlining clearly the grounds for the appeal.

No appeal has been received by my Department to date from the candidate referred to by the Deputy.

Under the student maintenance grant schemes, students who are entering approved courses for the first time are eligible for financial assistance where they satisfy the relevant conditions as to residence, means, age, nationality and previous academic attainment.

For student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or guardians, dependent mature students or as independent mature students. A mature student is defined as a person of not less than 23 years of age in the year of entry to an approved course. An independent mature student is defined as a mature student who was not ordinarily resident with his or her parents from the October preceding entry to an approved course.

When assessing the means of students other than independent mature students, the schemes specify that parental income must be taken into account. Independent mature students, on the other hand, are assessed without reference to their parents' income. The reckonable income of an independent mature student is that of the candidate only and of his or her spouse where appropriate.

The Student Support Bill will provide the Minister with the power to regulate for different classes of applicants. This power would enable me, if there were compelling reasons and adequate resources to do so, to consider the circumstances where a student could be assessed without reference to parental income. The Deputy will appreciate that any extension of the provision of assessment as an independent mature student would have to be carefully considered to ensure it is highly targeted at very specific circumstances where students could demonstrate that they have been genuinely self-supporting and living independently for a period before the commencement of their studies.