Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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269. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the difficulties being experienced by students trying to access information on third level grants; the reason they are being re-directed from the Students Universal Support Ireland website to studentfinance.ie which has only general information and nothing about specific course applications and when will the SUSI website be fully operational. [27028/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I am informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the online grant application system for the 2013/14 academic year went live via the www.studentfinance.ie website on 20th May, 2013.

Studentfinance.ie has operated as the gateway to the online grant application system administered by SUSI since 2012. The studentfinance site has been fully

updated for the launch by SUSI of student grant application for the 2013/14 academic year, including providing a direct link to the online application system. The site has a 'Quick Guide' to student grants, together with more detailed, step-by-step information.

In line with the recommendations of the recent review of SUSI, a dedicated www.susi.ie website has now been developed and went live on 30 May, 2013. The

www.susi.ie website is a comprehensive source of information specifically on student grants and provides a step-by-step guide to eligibility and the grants process. Information on the SUSI website is continuously reviewed and updated.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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270. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will have representatives from Student Universal Support Ireland contact school guidance counsellors to discuss the 2013-2014 grant application process; the reason a guidebook that was published last year has not been re-issued; his views on whether it is acceptable that guidance counsellors who are tasked with providing advice to students are being curtailed from doing so by the lack of information being provided by the DES. [27029/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I am informed by Student Universal Support Ireland that it is in ongoing contact with the Institute of Guidance Counsellors in relation to the student grant process. In fact, the President of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors is a member of the SUSI Advisory Group and SUSI representatives were invited to attended the Institute of Guidance Counsellors conference and gave a presentation on the SUSI grant application process. I understand from SUSI that the guidance notes to which the Deputy refers will be available to download from the www.susi.ie website from 11th June, 2013.

My Department has responsibility for producing the statutory Student Grant Scheme and Student Support Regulations. The scheme and regulations for the 2013/14 academic year were published by my Department on 16 May, 2013 and subsequently circulated to all major stakeholders including the Institute of Guidance Counsellors. Information on the Student Grant Scheme and access to the 2013/14 on line student grant application system are also made available through the Department's website at www.education.ie.