Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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2134. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his intention to decrease the age where parental income is taken into account to access SUSI grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59066/25]

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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2135. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the stipulation that those over the age of 23 living at home have their parents' income taken into account to get access to the SUSI grant. [59067/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2134 and 2135 together.

In general, for student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent students.

A student may be assessed as an independent student (i.e. assessed without reference to parental income) if they have attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry or re-entry (following a break in study of at least 3 years) to an approved further or higher education course, and are not ordinarily resident with their parents from the previous 1st October. This status continues for the duration of their study. Otherwise, they would be assessed as a dependent student i.e. assessed with reference to parental income.

The decision on eligibility for student grant applications is a matter for the centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland).

Applicants who do not meet the criteria to be assessed as an independent student for grant purposes, or who cannot supply the necessary documentation to establish independent living for the required period, may still apply to SUSI to have their grant eligibility assessed as a dependent student. The relevant information, including details of parental income, would be required by SUSI to determine grant eligibility as a dependent student.

Further information regarding class of applicant (independent, dependent, and mature dependent) and the types of documentation accepted as evidence of living independently from parents is available from SUSI’s website: www.susi.ie/eligibility-criteria/income/applicant-class/

My Department reviews the Student Grant Scheme on an annual basis. However, the Deputy will appreciate that the funding allocation for the Student Grant Scheme is determined in the context of the overall estimates and budgetary process undertaken by all Government Departments. All proposals made in relation to SUSI grant expenditure can only be considered in the context of the budgetary allocation, having regard to overall resource constraints and other competing demands in the further and higher education sector.