Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 13 November 2012

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection

Student Grant Application System: Discussion with SUSI

12:40 pm

Photo of Joan CollinsJoan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I do not want to rehearse questions raised earlier but, further to Deputy O'Brien's comments, there is a difference between the number of staff that will be provided to deal with the backlog and the number that are actually required. It is argued that 30,000 applications can be processed by 31 December. This leaves a large number of students in their current predicament. It is not good enough. What does SUSI need to clear the backlog more quickly?

Other speakers have referred to Deputies' having access to telephone helplines for medical cards and social welfare. Would it be useful to establish a one-stop shop in colleges to deal with issues with applications? It should not be up to Deputies to deal with the problems arising. The colleges should be able to work with SUSI so that a student can walk in and get help. A student from my area was told to send in his file and acceptance form on 24 September, and he did so only to be told his application was still at review stage. There appears to be a breakdown between what students are told and what is happening. If we do not see improvements quickly we will see some very angry students on the streets.

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