Minister reassures farmers that college grant changes will be ‘fair’

Farmers are relieved that any changes to the means test for college grants will be fair, equitable, and open to appeal.

In a meeting with ICMSA executives, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn said any changes to Higher Education Authority (HEA) grants will not be biased towards any sector.

The dairy farmer group welcomed this position, which it interprets as meaning that farmland and machinery will be viewed as “tools of the trade” rather than cash-realisable assets.