Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 4 Oct 2000

Vol. 523 No. 2

Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.

Liam Aylward

Question:

204 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will revise the gross earnings regulations in respect of higher education grants so as not to include contributory pensions or benefits paid by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs in view of the fact that such payments are already deducted from the person's tax free allowance placing him or her on a higher tax table; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20784/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

Under the terms of the third level student support schemes, a candidate's reckonable income for the purposes of the means test is his-her gross income from all sources and the gross income of his-her parents or guardians where applicable, with certain specified social welfare and health board payments, as follows, being exempt: child benefit; family income supplement; disability allowance, where paid to the candidate; blind pension, where paid to the candidate; means tested one parent family payments; orphan's pensions; back to education allowance; foster care allowance; domiciliary care allowance and carer's allowance.

Subject to the foregoing, reckonable income includes all amounts received or receivable by an individual without reference to his-her residence or domicile, from both Irish and foreign sources, which are liable to Irish income tax, Irish capital gains tax or Irish capital acquisitions tax, or which would be so liable but for exemptions and reliefs contained in Irish legislation, and corresponding amounts received or receivable by individuals resident in another EU member state which are liable to income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance or gift taxes of that State, or which would be so liable but for exemptions and reliefs contained in the legislation of that State. There are no plans to revise these means test provisions.