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]

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.