Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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348. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the special rate of maintenance grant will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13492/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy was awarded 100% non-adjacent rate of grant for the 2012/13 and 2013/14 academic years.

The applicant appealed the decision to refuse the special rate of grant for the 2013/14 academic year, firstly to SUSI and subsequently to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board and the original decision was upheld.

Information provided by the Department of Social Protection confirmed that the applicant's mother's application for Invalidity Pension in 2011 was disallowed. Accordingly, as the reckonable income in this case did not include a specified eligible social welfare payment, the applicant was not eligible for the special rate of grant.

However, if the applicant is now in a position to provide documentary evidence from the Department of Social Protection confirming that her mother is in receipt of an Invalidity Pension (or any other eligible payment), she is advised to submit same to SUSI, the grant awarding authority, in order for her eligibility for the special rate of grant to be reviewed.