Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if income earned will continue to be the basis for eligibility for higher education grants; if he will reassure worried families that the value of the assets used to earn income will not form part of his future assessment plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8504/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Deputy will be aware that a dedicated capital assets test implementation group was established to bring forward detailed implementation proposals on new means testing arrangements for student grants, to include the value of assets. I have received a draft report from the implementation group. This is currently under consideration and I will be consulting further with my cabinet colleagues in the matter in due course. I can assure families that the intention behind this approach is to ensure that, at a time of reduced resources, the Government targets valuable schemes, such as the student grant scheme, at those who need them most. Equally, it is to ensure that those who can afford to pay to go to higher education should do so. Under any new means testing arrangement, families whose income and assets fall below a certain level, will continue to be eligible for third level grants for their children.