Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Estrangement is the issue with which we deal most in my office. I know that strict criteria are needed in this regard but some of the documentary evidence requested is very difficult for people to provide. Students providing evidence from the Department of Social Protection have been told it is not adequate and that additional evidence is required. Will the officials comment on this issue?

After SUSI’s first year, a report was published on its operation, with several recommendations. Will the officials confirm that all of these recommendations have been implemented? If not, which ones are still outstanding?

Recently a proposal was made by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul that SUSI’s application process work alongside and on the same timeline as the Central Applications Office’s application process. Obviously, this would have huge advantages. Has any consideration been given to this? Would it be a major task to move to such a system?

The appeals process is very long. I understand one has to review all of the documentation. However, from the moment an applicant receives a grant refusal, he or she has 30 days in which to appeal. It is then viewed by an appeals officer, which can take up to 30 days. If the appeals officer upholds the decision, it can then be appealed to the Student Grants Appeals Board within another 30 days. The appeals board has 60 days in which to adjudicate on the decision. That comes to a maximum of 150 days, close enough to five months, to process an appeal. In that period some students would find it very difficult to remain in education and might have to drop out for financial reasons. I know that 150 days is the maximum period, but are there data for average processing times of appeals?

It is surprising that the appeals board overturns almost 20% of refusals. Essentially, one in five refusals, initially made by SUSI and upheld by an appeals officer, could be overturned by the appeals board. That indicates that there is something wrong with the process somewhere along the line. If the appeals board upholds the decision of the appeals officer, the course of action for a student is to take a High Court case. I believe this has happened on at least one occasion and the student involved actually won the case. Will the officials confirm this? Will they also confirm if any other High Court case has been taken?