Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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91. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason invalidity pension payments are not disregarded as income like disability allowance payments are, when calculating means for Student Universal Support Ireland grants, in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52290/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that, in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy, reckonable income was over the limit to qualify for a full maintenance grant. The list of payments, known for the purposes of the Student Grant Scheme 2013 as "income disregards" does not extend to Invalidity Pension. Disability Allowance is an income disregard in calculating reckonable income for the purposes of determining eligibility under the student grant scheme but only where it is paid to the applicant. The Deputy will appreciate that any decision in relation to changes to the Student Grant Scheme including changes in payments to be included as "income disregards" will need to be considered in the context of availability of resources. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI. Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down, in writing, by SUSI, and remains of the view that SUSI has not interpreted the scheme correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the Student Grants Appeals Board. The relevant appeal form is available to download from .