Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 December 2009
412 Deputy Seán Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Science his views in relation to third level education grants (details supplied); his plans to change this rule; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47192/09]
View answer413 Deputy Seán Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Science his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47193/09]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 412 and 413 together.
Under the student maintenance grant schemes, students who are entering approved courses for the first time are eligible for financial assistance where they satisfy the relevant conditions as to residence, means, age, nationality and previous academic attainment. For student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or guardians, dependent mature students or as independent mature students. A mature student is defined as a person of not less than 23 years of age in the year of entry to an approved course. An independent mature student is defined as a mature student who was not ordinarily resident with his or her parents from the October preceding entry to an approved course.
When assessing the means of students other than independent mature students, the schemes specify that parental income must be taken into account. Independent mature students, on the other hand, are assessed without reference to their parents' income. The reckonable income of an independent mature student is that of the candidate only and of his or her spouse where appropriate. The Student Support Bill will provide the Minister with the power to regulate for different classes of applicants. This power would enable me, if there are compelling reasons and adequate resources to do so, to consider the circumstances where a student could be assessed without reference to parental income. Any extension of the provision of assessment as an independent mature student will have to be carefully considered to ensure it is highly targeted at very specific circumstances where students can demonstrate that they have been genuinely self-supporting and living independently for a period before the commencement of their studies.
