Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 December 2015
115. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when section 52 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 will commence, and if its non-commencement is preventing students from accessing grants. [44495/15]
View answerI am planning to sign the commencement order in relation to significant portions of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015, including section 52, before the end of the year. Section 52 stipulates when a person's guardianship of a child ends, being on the death of the guardian, the child's attaining the age of 18, or the child's marriage, whichever first occurs. However, while section 52 is not commenced, I should stress that it represents a codification of the current legal position and is not an actual change to the rules on how guardianship terminates.
I understand that my officials are liaising with their counterparts in the Department of Education and Skills in relation to guardianship, its duration and termination. As the Deputy is aware, the assessment of students for the student grant scheme is a matter for the Department of Education and Skills.
