Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 18 Nov 1999

Vol. 511 No. 2

Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.

Andrew Boylan

Question:

157 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans, if any, he has to introduce new measures whereby assessment on the eligibility for third level grants be based on net rather than gross pay; and his views on assessments based on income which does not exist. [23897/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

The assessment of means under the third level student support schemes maintenance grants scheme is based on gross income with certain deductions for specified social welfare and health board payments. Any proposal to move to a means assessment system based on net income would have significant financial implications, in addition to equity issues, which would have to be addressed.

It has been the practice in recent years to increase the reckonable income limits in line with movements in the average industrial wage of the previous year. I increased the reckonable income limits for the 1999-2000 academic year by 4.6%, based on the increase in the average industrial wage for the period March 1997 to March 1998. I have also applied the increase in the reckonable income limits to the allowance by which the income limits may be increased in respect of other family members pursuing a course of study. In such cases, for the 1999-2000 academic year, the reckonable income limits may be increased by £2,160 where there are two such children, £4,320 where there are three, and so on by increments of £2,160.

I am committed to ongoing improvements in the student support schemes, including increasing the value of maintenance grants and increasing the income limits as resources permit. The Deputy will appreciate that such improvements must have regard to overall resource constraints and competing demands in the education sector.

Ivan Yates

Question:

158 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be allowed retain her original approval for a mature student higher education grant. [23898/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

I understand that the student to whom the Deputy refers commenced a postgraduate course in November 1998 and applied to Wexford County Council for a higher education grant.

The higher education grant schemes operate under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992. These Acts define a mature student to mean a person of not less than 23 years of age, or such other age as may stand specified for the time being in regulations made by the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Finance, who have secured places in approved institutions and have reached that age on 1 January, or such other date as may be prescribed from time to time by the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Finance, in the year of entry to such institutions. As the student in question was under 23 on 1 January in the year of entry to the course she could not be assessed as a mature student.

When assessing the means of students other than mature students, the Acts specify that the students' means and those of their parents or guardians must be below a prescribed limit. This provision requires that parental income be taken into account irrespective of the individual circumstances in any case where the student is not a mature student.

Having been advised by Wexford County Council of her ineligibility to be assessed as an independent mature student she did not proceed with an application as a candidate dependent on parents in 1998-99.

An application as an independent mature student was received from the candidate in 1999-2000. The county council processed the application without having noted that she was in the second year of her course. A grant was inadvertently awarded in September and the first payment made in mid-October. When this came to light in early November, the council wrote to the candidate advising her of their error and inviting her to apply as a dependent candidate which she has not done as of now. If she is not eligible for grant assistance, based on assessment of parental income, the council will seek to make a mutually convenient arrangement with the candidate to recoup the instalment of the grant which has been already paid.

I appreciate the difficulties that the means assessment provisions of the higher education grants scheme can give rise to in individual cases such as this case and I have asked my Department to examine the issues concerned.