Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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110. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which Student Universal Support Ireland continues to deal adequately with the administration of higher education grants; the number and nature of any cases outstanding in respect of previous years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30025/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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SUSI processed over 90,000 grant applications in 2013 compared with 70,000 in 2012. The changes and improvements made in 2013 included additional staff, improved communications and information services, earlier opening dates and more efficient processing of applications.

For 2014 SUSI will process in the region of 105,000 applications. SUSI has developed a programme of further changes and improvements to its processes and systems to provide enhanced services to grant applicants. These include earlier opening for applications, enhanced application form functionality, improved workflows and streamed processing of different types of application within SUSI, improved website information and enhanced direct communications and information exchange between applicants and SUSI. The further extension of data sharing with existing and additional Government agencies is also reducing the volume of documentation required from its applicants.

While all applications received for 2012-13 have been processed by SUSI, 2013-14 applications were accepted up to end of academic year in May in accordance with the Student Grant Scheme. In this regard 5 applications remain to be processed while a further 155 have received a decision from SUSI but are still part of either the internal appeal or the Student Grant's Appeal Board process. In this regard documentation is outstanding from student's in 109 of these cases.