Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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176. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an anomaly whereby SUSI is allowed a specific write off pertaining to overpayments made to certain persons will be examined (details supplied); the reason for the discrepancy; and the selection process in determining which persons must repay and which do not. [8150/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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SUSI operates a comprehensive set of processes and controls to manage the assessment process and to minimise the risk of incorrectly awarding grants. However, the nature of the assessment process undertaken by SUSI means that there is a risk that some students may be awarded maintenance grants and/or fee grants for which they are not eligible.

Where overpayments do occur, SUSI treats the overpayment as a debt to the Exchequer and seeks to ensure that all such payments are recovered from the student. This approach is consistent with the general policy and principle regarding the recovery of debt, as set out in the Student Support Act 2011.

When an overpayment is identified, SUSI will write to the student to inform him/her of the decision to vary the grant amount and to advise that recovery (repayment) of the overpayment will be necessary. A further letter will then issue to formally advise of the overpayment amount and to request repayment. This letter includes a Grant Repayment Option Form which requests details of the preferred repayment option.

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. Applicants may also appeal against decisions made by SUSI in relation to overpayments.

Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by an appeals officer in SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal may be submitted to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board within the required timeframe. Such appeals can be made by the appellant on line via www.studentgrantappeals.ie.

Some difficulties were encountered by SUSI in its first year of operations when processes and procedures were being rolled out for the first time. In light of the circumstances in which these overpayments incurred, the approval of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was obtained for write-off of these specific overpayments as an exceptional measure in March 2016.

Since 2013, SUSI has made significant improvements to its internal control systems and procedures to enhance control and reduce the potential of future overpayments occurring.  These include comprehensive training for new staff as well as updates for existing staff on new scheme rules, and improved quality control procedures including random sample checking of ongoing grant applications by SUSI’s Quality Assurance Team. SUSI has also strengthened data sharing processes with other relevant agencies such as the Department of Social Protection (DSP) and the Revenue Commissioners, as a means of ensuring significantly improved accuracy when assessing grant eligibility.