894. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether he will consider taking mortgage or rental outgoings into account when calculating eligibility for SUSI payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51640/26]

The Student Grant Scheme, administered by SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland), provides grant assistance to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.

Student grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period. Therefore, all income is assessed from the same starting point, eliminating any distortion which might arise from different spending decisions if outgoings were also to be assessed. This means test is applied nationally to all applicants. In the case of both employed and self-employed applicants, gross income, before deduction of income tax or universal social charge, is assessed.

Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme mortgage or rental payments are not considered as deductions when calculating reckonable income for any applicant. As is the case in any statutory scheme, a core principle is that there is consistency of approach for applicants as part of the means assessment process. The terms and conditions of funding are applied impartially to all applicants, and this approach ensures fairness to all applying for a student grant.

However, certain specified social welfare and support payments are excluded for income assessment purposes under Article 22(4) of the Student Grant Scheme. These include the Housing Assistance Payment and Rental Accommodation Scheme, which are both local authority supports for individuals and families at risk of homelessness. In addition to this, income from Rent Supplement is not included in calculating reckonable income for SUSI purposes.

Many long-term payments from the Department of Social Protection are not disregarded. However, Schedule 2 of the 2026 Student Grant Scheme lists the Eligible Long-term payments for the highest rate of maintenance grant for the 2026/27 academic year.

It should be noted that any change or modification to the provisions which set out reckonable income, such as the disregard of any additional payments, or changes to how certain payments are treated under the scheme, would entail significant cost. The funding allocation for student supports is determined in the context of the estimates and budgetary process, having regard to overall resource constraints and multiple competing demands.

Budget 2026 provided significant improvements to existing supports under the Student Grant Scheme for the 2026/27 academic year. These enhancements include an increase in all non-adjacent maintenance rates and an increase of the SUSI threshold up to €120,000. I will continue to work to ensure that changes to the scheme benefit learners and their families in addressing costs of further and higher education.