Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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815. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason illness benefit is not included as a qualifying payment for the special rate of student grant by Student Universal Support Ireland, considering the inclusion of similar type benefit payments such as carers benefit and jobseeker's benefit; her plans to review this situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12000/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The qualifying criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant in the 2014/15 academic year as specified under the 2014 student grant scheme is as follows:

1. Student must qualify for the standard rate of grant

2. Total reckonable income net of income disregards and Child Dependant Increase must not exceed €22,703

3. As at 31st December, 2013, the reckonable income must include one of the eligible long-term social welfare payments prescribed in the Student Grant Scheme.

Carer's Benefit is a long-term social welfare payment and therefore meets the conditions for eligibility for the special rate of grant.

The condition in respect of Jobseeker's Benefit is that it is paid continuously for at least 12 months or, where paid for a shorter period, it may be combined with other eligible payments for purposes of meeting the prescribed period. In combining eligible payments, the Scheme provides that the Department of Social Protection's Illness Benefit can be used to combine periods of Jobseeker's Allowance and Jobseeker's Benefit provided a period of Jobseeker's Allowance/Benefit comes directly before and directly after the period of Illness Benefit.

It is not proposed to depart from the existing arrangements for the determination of the eligibility for the special rate of maintenance grant.