Two Fine Gael TDs in Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s own constituency yesterday joined the growing voices of resistance to Education Minister Ruairi Quinn's review of student grant rules.

The backlash has been prompted by Mr Quinn's plan to change the means test for the third-level grant, which could see farmland and business assets being included for the first time.

Speaking to Midwest News Fine Gael TD Michelle Mulherin warned against including valuable capital assets like farmland, which were often not worth a "red cent" in terms of income.

While Fine Gael TD John O'Mahony is quoted in today’s Irish Independent saying that Mr Quinn had been talking about the need for "fairness" in the system for assessing student grants.

"In my opinion, fairness is allowing eligibility for grants to be based on actual income. I would be very much against changing the system," he said.

Despite previous claims about the ability of farmers to manipulate the grants system, it was confirmed that they cannot use the cost of buying tractors and other farm machinery to reduce their income for the student grants means test.