Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to highlight the situation surrounding SUSI grants. This year, they will be based on 2019 income. A person may have lost his or her job since then. It is possible to get assessed on this year's income but if one is in receipt of the Covid payment, he or she will be assessed on the basis of receiving €350 per week for the entire year, which, of course, gives a wrong reflection of that person's income.

The majority of calls received by me or my office are from parents or students who are extremely worried about the SUSI grant next year. If a person previously had a job but ended up on a Covid payment between March and November of this year, receiving €350 per week and €203 per week, that might work out at €10,000 for that part of the year and, as such, the person may be under the cap for SUSI. However, it results in others being over the cap. The SUSI grant is not fit for purpose because the qualifying criteria and the conditions surrounding it are outdated for the times in which we are living, particularly as a result of the pandemic. I am thinking of people who are very worried about the SUSI grant for 2021.

One third of students receive a SUSI grant, but the remainder do not and must pay college fees. They may have to pay full college fees for a year in which they may not be on the campus at all or may only be there for a very small amount of time because they will be doing classes online. That is a very important fact. Surely it is unfair to expect those families to pay full fees.

The situation with regard to accommodation is completely out of order. I know the Ceann Comhairle is very interested in this issue. It is ridiculous that parents and students will have to pay for accommodation of which they will not avail. This year, they are being asked to pay the full amount up front, which is totally unfair, because the landlords are afraid of another total lockdown. They are trying to squeeze the money out of the students and their parents at the very beginning of the college year, which is totally unfair.

Finally, I must say something about the issue of transport. How in the name of God is it right or proper that the Department took so long to make the decision to reduce school bus capacity from 100% to 50%? It has been announced as we are trying to get students back to colleges and schools. This situation is wrong and unfair.

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