Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider changing the student grant scheme so that mortgage repayments are considered in the means test for grant eligibility due to there being an increasing number of families that have suffered drastic reductions in means under the burden of substantial home mortgage payments that have not reduced or that may have increased as a result of recent hikes in interest rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9902/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The assessment of means under my Department's student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources. Therefore, all income is assessed from the same starting point, eliminating any distortion which might arise from different spending decisions.

I have no plans at present to change this arrangement in respect of the determination of income for grant purposes.