Written answers

Tuesday, 22 February 2022

Department of Education and Skills

Grant Payments

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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609. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an application for SUSI support by a person (details supplied) which is currently under appeal will be approved. [9613/22]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The main support available to students is the statutory based Student Grant Scheme where students are studying for the first time or are progressing to study at a higher level. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine.

With regard to the specific application, I have been advised by my officials that there has been ongoing communication between the applicant and SUSI in relation to her application since early December 2021.  The application proceeded through the assessment process and SUSI determined that the applicant had submitted insufficient documentation to prove independent residence. The student then proceeded through the SUSI appeals process. The documentation was requested from the applicant and submitted and this was reviewed by the Appeals Officer, The SUSI appeal was finalised and a determination was notified directly to the student. 

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 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

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

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