Anthony Lawlor (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for giving me the chance to raise this issue. Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, has been working well in this, its second year. There have not been too many problems. However, nationality and immigration status pose an anomaly in terms of selecting people for grants. The case I am highlighting arose in 2012 and involves a child who is not an Irish citizen, but one of whose parents is, and who cannot get a grant. Were the child dependent on a parent whose civil partner was an Irish citizen, the child could get a grant. In fairness, when we highlighted this anomaly to the Minister, we were told that it would be reviewed, which it was.

It was put on the Citizens Information Board website and on the studentfinance.iewebsite page. It stated that students must have permission to remain because they are the dependent child of a naturalised Irish citizen. It was taken down from the website but the child was still unable to get the SUSI grant.

I hope the Minister will examine this. We have been trying to deal with this matter over the past two years. We hope all dependent children of Irish citizens would be allowed to get the SUSI grant as we are trying to encourage as many people as possible to avail of third level education. These people have become Irish citizens, but the result is that their dependent children cannot get a SUSI grant. Perhaps the Minister will consider that.

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