Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 January 2014
55. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether a person (details supplied) should be allowed to submit his or her passport records to Student Universal Support Ireland as proof of independent living from his or her parents. [4690/14]
View answerThe decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter in the first instance for the awarding authority. Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the application of the student referred to by the Deputy has been reviewed and they confirmed that the documents provided were not sufficient to prove independent residency. Passport details on their own are not sufficient proof of residency. The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application in relation to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means, it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a student would qualify for a grant.
If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to the appeals officer in 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. The relevant appeal form is available to download from http://www.studentfinance.ie/downloads/1375344221/2013_SGAB_appeal_form.pdf."
