Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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60. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide the exact persons and their job titles employed by the Health Service Executive who Student Universal Support Ireland will accept as qualified to attest to the veracity of a claim that a student is estranged from their family in order to assess their eligibility for a grant based on their own income when they are under 23 years and estranged from their family. [2978/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Only in exceptional cases, where compelling evidence of estrangement from parents/guardians is provided, can candidates who are under 23 be assessed without reference to their parents/guardians income or address.

The type of independent verification required is dependent on the person's individual circumstances. The verification or evidence should be provided in writing, in a formal capacity, by an appropriate officer of the Health Service Executive explaining the circumstances of the estrangement. Appropriate officers could include social workers, youth workers, family support workers and counselling services as these types of services help families and individuals work through difficult issues.