Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 April 2016
694. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason children born in the US who are Irish citizens face prohibitive costs by comparison with children born here in respect of accessing student grants and free fees; her plans to amend this situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6704/16]
View answerTo be eligible for a grant, a "student", as defined in Section 14 of the Student Support Act 2011, must demonstrate that he/she has been resident in the State for at least 3 years out of the 5 year period ending on the day before the start of his/her approved course of study. The Free Fees Initiative (FFI) has a similar residency requirement.
However, it is possible for students, who did not meet the residency requirement at the commencement of their studies, to have their eligibility reviewed if they meet the residency requirement during the course of their studies.
Similar and in some cases more restrictive residency requirements apply in other EU Member States.
