Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 191: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reasoning behind Dublin City Council changing the requirements for non-adjacent grants for independent mature students, resulting in a cut of €2000; and the reason this cut is not means tested in the case of a person(details supplied). [22122/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The changes to the student grants scheme to which the Deputy refers were introduced by the previous Fianna Fáil – Green Party Government under Budget 2011. These changes alter the qualifying distance criterion for the non-adjacent rate of grant from 24kms to 45kms and remove the automatic entitlement of mature students to the non-adjacent rate of grant. While these measures will result in changes to the rate of grant payable, none of the measures will result in a student losing a grant or becoming ineligible for a grant.

All student grants applications are means tested and qualifying students receive the rate of grant available under the scheme in accordance with their individual circumstances. Students on particularly low incomes will continue to receive a "top-up" in the special rate of maintenance grant and the Student Assistance Fund at some €5m continues to be made available through the access offices of third-level institutions to assist students in exceptional financial need.