Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 10 May 2001

Vol. 536 No. 1

Written Answers - Higher Education Grants.

Ivan Yates

Ceist:

174 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Education and Science the way in which inheritance of a family farm is assessed as reckonable income for persons (details supplied) in County Wexford who have been refused a higher education grant for one daughter and a PLC grant for another daughter; the reason the full value of the inheritance has been assessed as reckonable income; the further reason a higher education grant continues to be paid to one of their daughters; when these persons were told that they are ineligible; if he will have both students' eligibility for a higher education grant and PLC grant reconsidered; and the method of calculation of reckonable income in this case. [13392/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

The assessment of means under the third level student support schemes is based on gross income from all sources with specified social welfare and health board payments being excluded from the calculation. In the calculation of reckonable income, account must be taken of all gifts and inheritances with the following exceptions: in the case of independent mature candidates, gifts and inheritances between a candidate and spouse; in the case of all other candidates gifts and inheritances between parents-guardians and those received by the candidate from parents-guardians.

My Department understands that account was taken in this case of the inheritance of a farm by the candidates' father which put the reckonable income for the purpose of the means test above the limits prescribed under the 2000 student support schemes.

As stated in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 611 of 1 May 2001, put down by the Deputy, due to a delay in receiving all details of reckonable income in this case, two monthly instalments of the maintenance grant under the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees issued to one of the students in question. County Wexford VEC wrote to the candidates on 28 November 2000, informing them that as their reckonable income exceeded the prescribed limits, they were ineligible for grant assistance during the 2000-01 academic year and advising that the VEC be contacted with regard to the two instalments of the grant already paid.