Capital assets still included in student grant applications

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn insists he will still have capital assets included in deciding student grant applications, despite opposition of Fine Gael to the plan.

But it will be at least 2015 before there will be any changes, which in December 2011 he said would kick in for students in third level this year.

The controversial move has angered Fine Gael backbenchers in particular, who fear a backlash from farming communities over the possibility of children from agricultural backgrounds becoming ineligible for grants. But despite getting a report this summer from a cross-departmental group on how to find a way to assess capital assets as well as income for grant applications, Mr Quinn did not proceed with the move for the next college year.