Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will start by putting on record my absolute delight, congratulations and best wishes to all the students of Athlone Institute of Technology who are due to graduate over the next couple of weeks. In the interests of full disclosure, my daughter is one of them. They may be graduating at a time of great uncertainty, stress and anxiety, but their cap and gown in the kitchen or sitting room means just as much as any other one who has gone beforehand.

I raise the case of two young men who live in my constituency. Their names are Fionn and Phelim. They are 18 years old. Through an interfamily arrangement, they have lived with their grandparents since they were 16 years old. All aspects of their lives have been formalised through their grandparents. They have registered for medical cards based on their grandparents’ State pensions. Their Revenue account is based at their grandparents as well the details required by their GP and bank. This is the case with everything they have. This year they received 423 and 444 points. They are bright lads, to say the least. One is now studying psychology, the other commerce. One of them actually attends college through the Disability Access Route to Education, DARE, programme due to sight loss.

An exceptional result and elation at their points was followed swiftly by devastation from SUSI, which told them that their application was being denied. Evidence submitted to SUSI included a letter from the local community Garda sergeant detailing his knowledge and awareness of the family arrangement and how long those lads had been living with their grandparents. For some reason this was not deemed adequate. The boys have appealed and that is due to be heard on 4 December. However, their fees are also due to be paid at the end of November. Solicitors’ letters followed detailing the arrangements and still this was not classed as being sufficient. These young lads were 18 when their application was submitted to SUSI. There is no way they could have gone to court to get the guardianship SUSI was demanding. This is a huge loophole that is grossly unfair and is causing huge distress.

These young lads cannot be the only people in this position in this country. I refer to a reply by the Minister to a parliamentary question which states, "Cases of genuine estrangement are relatively rare and almost always will involve exceptional circumstances unique to a particular family...". I put it to the Minster that while "relatively rare" is somewhat of a broad base, what he will actually find is that the family courts involvement in cases like this is what is actually relatively rare, not the estrangement. These young lads have ended up in this position through no fault of their own. Their grandparents are doing their absolute best for them. This is the reality of their lives, yet because of SUSI their grandparents, who are elderly people on State pensions, are now looking to take out a credit union loan to put their grandchildren through college. These young lads have been through enough in their lives so far and this is something that really needs clarity.

The Minister’s reply goes on to state, "The scheme does not stipulate precisely how an awarding authority satisfies itself." That is not really good enough. We understand there must be flexibility and a level of common sense, but surely if these young lads have provided everything they have been asked for and done so willingly, then that willingness should be met at the other end as well rather than additional obstacles being put in front of them. I want to reference something my colleague, Deputy Conway-Walsh, brought up earlier. I cannot be the only Deputy in this House who has had constituents contact them to say there is a problem with the Revenue Commissioners and SUSI speaking to each other. Whether it is P21 details that have been double-counted or whatever the case may be, that lack of communication not only adds extra workload to SUSI but causes huge distress to families at a time when stress is already high.

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