Student Grant Scheme Application Numbers

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 February 2013

Wednesday, 13 February 2013

Questions (70, 85)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

70. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify the number of third level grants that remain to be processed; if he will provide detail in tabular form of the grants still to be processed by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7531/13]

Tom Fleming

Question:

85. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he has taken to address the delays in the processing of student grant applications, the number of student grant applications that have been received by Student Universal Support Ireland; the number that have been processed, awarded, refused, awaiting decisions to date, the number of applications that were received from County Kerry and the number of these that were processed, received, refused, awarded, awaiting a decision to date; if he will reassure all applications and their families, that all fully completed applications will be processed at the earliest possible date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7710/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I propose to take Questions Nos. 70 and 85 together. I understand from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that grants processing is largely up to date and that complete applications are now being dealt with as the requested documentation comes in. The following table provides a breakdown of the processing position of student grant applications received by SUSI on a county basis. The data provided is at a point in time on the 13 February, 2013. It gives the position for student grant applications for attendance at both further and higher education. It includes data in relation to applications received from County Kerry. This data has been provided to my Department by SUSI. SUSI is continuing to make payments on a weekly basis to ensure students can get paid their grant as expeditiously as possible, once they have been awarded a grant. Those awarded a grant must supply bank account details and confirmation of registration must be received from the institution in order for the first instalment to be paid.

Some students have still not provided any of the necessary supporting documentation to enable their grant applications to be progressed to finality while others have provided some, but not all, of this documentation. This is similar to the position in previous years. SUSI is currently offering those students that still wish to proceed with their grant applications a final opportunity to submit the documentation that has been requested before SUSI close their applications.

SUSI Applications - Processing Position by County

County	Total applications received	Incomplete Applications	Applications where all requested documentation submitted	Awarded	Refused or Cancelled	Applications currently with SUSI for processing	Maintenance Payments
Carlow	1012	202	810	550	255	5	359
Cavan	1367	277	1090	730	350	10	561
Clare	1846	395	1451	989	438	24	697
Cork	7129	1620	5509	3552	1908	49	2393
Donegal	2978	596	2382	1667	683	32	1146
Dublin	14818	3863	10955	6338	4481	136	4135
Galway	4566	1004	3562	2418	1113	31	1558
Kerry	2551	508	2043	1386	643	14	937
Kildare	2813	625	2188	1325	846	17	916
Kilkenny	1435	299	1136	752	376	8	518
Laois	1108	247	861	585	267	9	427
Leitrim	658	145	513	349	160	4	252
Limerick	2962	726	2236	1510	704	22	952
Longford	779	158	621	413	206	2	291
Louth	2224	487	1737	1131	588	18	778
Mayo	2576	545	2031	1413	601	17	1007
Meath	2528	569	1959	1247	694	18	908
Monaghan	1147	238	909	622	281	6	467
Offaly	1266	234	1032	691	328	13	491
Roscommon	1222	239	983	674	302	7	470
Sligo	1267	308	959	640	312	7	424
Tipperary	2723	562	2161	1454	697	10	998
Waterford	1970	413	1557	983	567	7	631
Westmeath	1718	339	1379	905	456	18	647
Wexford	2405	465	1940	1328	603	9	953
Wicklow	2013	411	1602	1015	576	11	737
Outside Ireland	279	104	175	42	127	6	18
Totals	69,360	15,579	53,781*	34,709**	18,562	510#	23,671##

*Of these in the case of some 53,271 applications processing has been completed (awarded, provisionally awarded or refused).

** This figure includes some 1,049 provisionally awarded awaiting final course acceptance and some 6,833 students awarded a "fees only grant".

# This figure includes some 103 late applications awaiting provisional assessment.

## The total number awarded and due to be paid a maintenance grant by SUSI is some 3,156 students. The majority of these students currently awaiting payment will be paid within the next two weeks, depending on their submission of bank account details. A number of students will be paid on Friday 15th February 2013.