Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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259. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) submitted a formal application and supporting documentation for grant aid to SUSI; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that SUSI has requested the person to provide evidence of independent residence; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the person did actually provide evidence to show that he or she has been in receipt of jobseeker's allowance since September 2015, while he or she resided at a location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30608/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage the assistance of their public representatives in making enquiries about their grant applications.

This service complements the established channels provided by SUSI which include online application tracking, a dedicated website, a telephone helpdesk, email and social media, including Facebook and Twitter.

Enquiries may be emailed direct to SUSI at oireachtas@susi.ie. Staff in SUSI are responding to email queries within a matter of days.

If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI.

Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board within the required timeframe.