Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Basically, the Minister needs to communicate with SUSI. People who are applying at the moment are being told that they are over the limit. They need to know. Parents and students need to plan now as to whether they can afford to go to college and continue their education. Waiting until September and hoping that everything will be okay is going to delay and clog things up. Parents and students have enough worries as it is, without being excluded from this. Dealing with SUSI, in terms of change of circumstances, is not as simple as the Minister portrays. We are in such exceptional times that there should be an exceptional blanket at a minimum of €4,500. Why can that not be done? I know the Minister referred to social welfare norms but, because it is an exceptional payment, surely there is some mechanism between the Minister’s Department and SUSI for it to be done.

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