Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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418. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will reduce the required number of years that an applicant needs to have been a resident here, for the previous five years prior to application, from three to one; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8502/16]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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To be eligible for a grant, a "student", as defined in Section 14 of the Student Support Act 2011, must demonstrate that he/she has been resident in the State for at least 3 years out of the 5 year period ending on the day before the start of his/her approved course of study. The Free Fees Initiative (FFI) has a similar residency requirement.

However, for student grant purposes, it is possible for students who did not meet the residency requirement at the commencement of their studies, to have their eligibility reviewed if they meet the residency requirement during the course of their studies.

Similar and in some cases more restrictive residency requirements apply in other EU Member States.

I have no plans to change the current arrangements.