Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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3. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will reform the Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, assessment criteria for independent living given that students under 23 years are assessed as dependent on their parents even if they live independently, as are those over 23 years who cannot leave home due to the housing crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26577/25]

Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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There are issues with the SUSI grant and people being able to access it. Will the Minister reform the SUSI assessment criteria for independent living? Students under 23 are assessed as dependent on their parents, even if they live independently, and those over 23 who are forced to live at home due to the housing crisis are assessed as dependent on their parents. Will the Minister reform SUSI?

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for her question. Was that Question No. 3?

Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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My apologies, I mixed up the questions.

David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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We will take Question No. 3 and go back to Question No. 1 afterwards.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for her question and interest in the area. She is her party's spokesperson in this area and I wish her well in that role. I look forward to working with her across the floor in the coming years.

Regarding students who are considered to be dependent at the age of 23, this is part of the wider student grant system and scheme, which is kept under continuous review. Every year, the Department publishes an options paper that sets out costed reforms and changes to the scheme. I am currently engaged in that process and have had several stakeholder events, including meeting students' unions and other interested parties. I intend to publish a paper later this year before the budget on this which will inform public and political debate on what options should be prioritised.

There are many different parameters and moving parts. When you change one, it has a knock-on effect on another. I look forward to a discussion, informed by the options paper, as to what are the appropriate measures and how we make them.

In examining changes to eligibility criteria, which this question is about, I must consider how a change might impact on a particular cohort when compared with the demands of other cohorts and across the rest of the sector. I must also have regard for the availability of resources in the Estimates process.

In general, for student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on their parents or legal guardians, or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent student if they have attained the age of 23 on 1 January of the year of first entry or re-entry to an approved further education course or an approved higher education course and if they have not been ordinarily resident with their parents from the previous 1 October. Otherwise, they are assessed as a dependent student which means they are assessed with reference to parental income.

Applicants who do not meet the criteria to be assessed as an independent student for grant purposes or who cannot supply the necessary documentation to establish independent living for the required period may still apply to the awarding authority, SUSI, to have their grant eligibility assessed as a dependent student.

More than €351 million has been allocated in 2025 to student grants to aid access to education. That student grant scheme has recently been expanded-----

David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Thank you, Minister.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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-----with increasing thresholds. We will come back to that later.

Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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We all want to work together for fairness, justice and equality in education and one of things we can do to help us is the reform of the SUSI grant. For too long, SUSI has been a barrier rather than a bridge for many of our young people. This is supposed to be a scheme which enables access to education but instead for many it is yet another wall that blocks their future.

Let us speak plainly. The age of 23 - that so-called threshold for being classed as an independent student - is actually a barrier for some. Looking at one family's situation - this family contacted both the Minister and I - they feel that middle-wage earners are being punished because of this. They said when their means test for SUSI was being completed, it did not take into consideration tax, PRSI or USC charges because their child is independent but they cannot prove it so their income is taken into consideration. They have received a minimal amount from SUSI and must now pay €10,000 in rent, student fees, food and travel. This really needs to be looked at.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I am aware of the issue which has been raised with me by the student unions and I have come across this in my review of the different schemes. It is fair to ask and test this to see what is appropriate.

The Deputy mentioned that one of the families she had been in contact with had stated the difficulty in assessing and establishing that independence. Documentation accepted by SUSI includes: a letter confirming the address is registered with the RTB, if they are renting a property; a local authority lease agreement or a letter to confirm they are renting under the RAS scheme; a letter on headed paper from a rental agency confirming the tenancy - these are all in situations where the individual is living outside the family home; a letter to confirm the receipt of rental allowance; or a utility bill in the applicants name - this could be something like a phone bill, broadband bill, gas bill, utility bill, etc. Those items can be submitted as evidence that a student is living apart. The real difficulty arises in some cases where they are not living apart; they are living at the family home but are estranged and may not have the opportunity to move out, although they may wish to.

I accept this is not straightforward and these are the issues we must examine in the options paper to see what is appropriate. It may not be appropriate to give a blanket exemption because this may not be a good use of resources but it is something on which we need to strike the right balance.

Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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I am glad to hear the Minister will be looking at this but there are other people who for myriad reasons - some deeply disturbing - have had to leave home and are living with other family members. They are independent but do not have bills, rent or other things in their name and are finding it difficult to get evidence that they are separate from their parents. As there is a breakdown in communication, the parents will not give them this. It is not a simple if-or situation and it must be looked into. It is not fair on those people who are running from home for certain reasons. They are trying to make their lives better but these barriers are being put in their way and they cannot get the bills or the evidence.

If you look at it, it really is not for them and there needs to be a compassionate mechanism for students estranged from their parents - one that puts the student's life experience first and not a bureaucratic checklist.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy might call it a bureaucratic checklist but I am sure she would also agree public moneys should be carefully managed. It would not be appropriate to have a free-for-all where we do not need any proof or documentation and anyone who applies can get appropriate payments. I imagine the Deputy would agree this would not be appropriate either. If we accept that neither extreme is a good place to be, then we must find the point in the middle, that is, the level of documentation and support that is required and appropriate. That is the way with every use of public moneys and every type of grant scheme right across the different Departments. That is the way it has always been and should be.

The question is to find a balance that is not overly onerous or unreasonably attainable which safeguards the underlying resources that are ultimately available to other students and families and must be managed in that regard.

There are other funds in addition to SUSI that are available for students who might be in financial difficulty. We have the student assistance fund to support students both full time and part time for different exceptional needs. We have PATH 5 which is a new access pathway into third level education, particularly for Traveller or Roma communities. We also have accommodation and grants for students in disadvantaged areas. There is a number of different funds which can support students in difficulties even beyond the SUSI system.