Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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173. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to revise the criteria for a student to live three of the past five years in the European Economic Area and/or Switzerland to be eligible for the student grant scheme given this is a barrier to many returning emigrants seeking to enter education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23229/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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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.

This requirement takes cognisance of students who wish to take time out to travel or work abroad. 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.