Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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103. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if a trust fund for a child, that can only be accessed when the child reaches 18 years of age, has to be declared by the parent, when the parent is applying for a social welfare payment. [17765/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The means test for social assistance schemes takes account of all cash income which income the claimant has as well as the yearly value of property (other than the home) and capital which a claimant owns.

The key issue, for means testing purposes, in the case of trust funds is the ownership of such funds. Trust funds which are owned by a child of a claimant are not assessable in order to determine the means of any parent who is a welfare claimant. In this regard, it sometimes may not be clear as to who is the actual owner of a trust fund is and such funds should be declared by the parent in order to enable the Department to determine whether it is assessable or otherwise.