Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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125. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if expenses related to nursing home costs for a parent can be taken into consideration by SUSI in its assessment for the higher education grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19048/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The means test arrangements of the Student Grant Scheme are applied nationally on the same basis to all applicants.

The reckonable income of an applicant is calculated based on gross income before the deduction of income tax or the universal social charge, and with certain specified social welfare and HSE payments excluded. Nursing home costs are not excluded from the calculation of reckonable income.

The assessment of income from the same starting point is deemed to be fair and reasonable because this approach eliminates any distortion which might arise from different spending decisions in different households.