Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students from farming backgrounds currently in receipt of a student grant, broken down on a county basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8744/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The table contains the available information in the Department in this matter. The data refers to the 2011/12 academic year and refers to new applications only. The equivalent data for 2012/2013 will not be available until the end of the current academic year. The information has been supplied by 66 grant awarding authorities. It is indicative data only as, for data protection reasons, it is not mandatory for students to provide details of their socio-economic backgrounds to a grant awarding authority. In 2011, for example, 34% did not declare the main household occupation. In addition, adequate information may not be provided to the grant awarding authorities to enable occupations to be classified.

Breakdown of new awards of Grants 2011/2012 under Socio Economic Categories

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the average income of the farming families whose children qualified for a student grant in 2012/2013 or for the most recent year available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8745/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Data is not collated on average incomes for any socio-economic group. Grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period. Various income thresholds for a grant apply depending on the number of dependent children in a family and/or the number of children attending further and higher education. Any applicant from any sector of society, including framers, below these threshold and who meets all of the other terms and conditions of the student grant scheme will qualify for a grant. A table outlining the income thresholds for the 2012/13 acdemic year is attached.

SCHEDULE 1

Reckonable Income Limits for maintenance and fee grants for the 2012/13 academic year

Part A

1. Reckonable income limits:

The period 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2011 is the reference period for the academic year 2012/13. The income limits that apply to tuition students relate to the fee elements only. A tuition student does not qualify for any maintenance grant.

Income Limits for Maintenance and Fee Grants - Table A

Additional increments that may be applied to the income limits in Table A for Maintenance and Fee Grants - Table B**

*To be eligible for the special rate of maintenance an applicants reckonable income on 31 December 2011 must include an eligible payment listed in Schedule 2.

** Increments which may be applied to the relevant income limits