Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 June 2024
896. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he is taking to ensure that families where one parent is a carer are not unduly penalised when seeking support for a child entering third level education in terms of SUSI and other State supports. [24778/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe principal support provided by my Department is the student grant scheme, which makes available means-tested financial assistance to students in further and higher education. Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students on full-time courses who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, approved course, previous academic attainment and means.
The special rate of maintenance grant is the highest rate of maintenance grant available and is targeted at those students most in the need. One of the qualifying criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant is that the reckonable income must include one of the eligible long-term social welfare payments prescribed in Schedule 2 of the Student Grant Scheme. I can confirm that Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Benefit are both eligible social welfare payments for the special rate of maintenance grant. In addition to Carer’s Allowance, the Carer’s Support Grant (where paid to recipients of the Carer’s Allowance and Domiciliary Care Allowance) and the Domiciliary Care Allowance are classified as an “income disregards” and these payments are not included when calculating reckonable income for the purposes of student grant eligibility.
As the Deputy is aware, carers have been named as a priority group in our new National Access Plan. Access to Further and Higher Education continues to be a national priority for the Government and my Department. My Department is committed to the continued roll-out of supports for students and targeted initiatives to support delivery of the vision and targets within the NAP.
