Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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512. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the details of the distribution of the SUSI grants by socio-economic group; the distribution of such grants between urban and rural applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48389/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The information requested by the Deputy is not available as SUSI do not collate information by socioeconomic group or the distribution of such grants between rural and urban applicants.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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513. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details in relation to the way that he ensures that SUSI grants go to genuinely deserving applicants and that the system is transparent and fair; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48390/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Student Grant Scheme, administered by SUSI, provides grant assistance to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.

The report of the Action Group on Access to Third Level Education made detailed recommendations concerning the introduction of special rates of maintenance grants for disadvantaged students. The target group of "those most in need" was defined in terms of the dependents of people receiving long-term welfare payments, where the necessary conditions are fulfilled.

Accordingly, to effectively target this cohort, the income limit for the special rate of grant is aligned to the maximum point of the weekly State Contributory Pension plus the maximum Qualified Adult Allowance for a person over 66 years.

In assessing an application for the 2022/23 academic year, SUSI will have regard to the following qualifying criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant:

1. The student must qualify for the standard rate of grant;

2. Total gross reckonable income for the 2021 tax year, after income disregards and Child Dependent Increase(s) are excluded, must not exceed €24,500;

3. As at 31st December 2021, the reckonable income must include one of the eligible long-term social welfare payments prescribed in Schedule 2 of the Student Grant Scheme 2022.

Following on from a €200 increase to all grant rates in Budget 2022, I announced further increases as part of the Cost of Living and Budget measures in Budget 2023.

As part of the Government's cost of living measures, every SUSI maintenance grant recipient, including those on the special rate, will receive an additional once-off payment equivalent to one month’s maintenance to be paid by the end of December 2022.

Effective from January 2023, the special rate and Band 1 rate of maintenance will increase by 14% and all other maintenance grant rates will increase by 10%. Students in the current academic year will see their grant payments increase proportionately once this measure comes into effect from January 2023. The revised grant for the Academic year 2023/24 for the special rate non-adjacent will then rise to €6,971 and for the special rate adjacent will rise to €2,936.

In addition for the 2022/2023 Academic Year a further €8 million of funding has been secured for the Student Assistance Fund for the current academic year. Students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund (SAF). The Fund provides financial support to students who are experiencing financial difficulties while attending college. Students can apply for SAF to help with either temporary or ongoing financial difficulties and can be assisted towards their rent, childcare costs, transport costs and books/class materials. It is open to both full and part-time registered students on courses of not less than one year's duration leading to an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification. It is designed to provide a source of financial support in addition to a SUSI grant.

Applications can be made under the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) through the Access Office in the third level institution you are attending. They will have more information concerning their own HEI. More information on this fund and other supports are also available at www.studentfinance.ie.