Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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475. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a SUSI grant application for a person (details supplied) will be reviewed. [52626/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Assessment of means under the Student Grant Scheme 2025 is based on gross income from all sources, of the applicant and their parent. No deduction is giving for outgoings, with the exception of pension contributions, legally enforceable maintenance payments and employment related expenses as approved by Revenue (Article 22 (5) of the scheme refers).

Additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) to pension schemes and private pension or retirement products, paid in the reference period only, within the limits allowed by the Revenue Commissioners, that appear on your Statement of Liability, (formerly P21) may be considered as deductibles for the purpose of assessing reckonable income under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme 2025 (Article 22 (5) refers).

All pension contributions not deducted at source, will show in Panel 3 in the Statement of Liability. Contributions to company schemes deducted at source by your employer cannot be considered as a deductible for grant purposes as stated in the above legislation as the reckonable income assessed in this instance is net of the pension contributions.

An official from my Department has advised that the 2025/2026 application for grant funding by the student referred to by the Deputy was finalised and as per letter to the student dated 17 April 2025, they were awarded the Non-Adjacent Band 3 Rate of Maintenance Grant, together with 100% Student Contribution or Tuition Fees, as applicable to them.

The student requested an internal review by the awarding authority, SUSI on 7 May 2025 as they believed their mother’s pension contributions had not been deducted from their total household reckonable income. An official has advised that the student’s mother’s pension contributions were in fact deducted from reckonable income. The student was advised that their award could not be improved in a letter dated 8 May 2025.

The student appealed to SUSI on 20 May 2025, and as per the letter to the applicant dated 26 May 2025, the Appeals Officer upheld the decision of the awarding authority.

An appeal was submitted to the Independent Student Grant Appeals Board (the Board) by the student referred to and the appeal was considered by the Board on the 1st of July 2025 and upheld the decision of the awarding authority and the SUSI appeals officer. The determination of the Board was communicated directly to the student on that date.

I trust this clarifies the situation and I wish the student well in her studies.