Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 May 2021
623. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the process in place to recoup payments made in error by SUSI; if there is flexibility in regard to the timeframe for appealing decisions in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26480/21]
View answerThe complex nature of the student grant scheme means that there is a risk that some students receive grant payments for which they are not eligible, including for reasons beyond the direct control of SUSI.
To mitigate the risk of overpayments, SUSI implements procedural and system-based controls within its application assessment and grant payment operations. A highly developed quality assurance programme is implemented within the assessment process and a focused programme of independent post-assessment reviews are also performed across targeted risk areas.
The critical objective for SUSI is to identify and rectify errors on a timely basis before a grant is awarded and thus before any overpayment can arise. Issues identified from quality and post-assessment reviews are fed back into the assessment process through feedback and training on a current basis.
SUSI has a formal overpayments policy and implements repayment approaches that are sensitive to students’ means and circumstances.
With regard to the specific application, I have been advised by officials in SUSI that following a post-assessment quality review carried out by SUSI on 3rd November 2020 it was determined that the student was not eligible to receive a maintenance grant.
As the student did not appeal the decision within 60 days his application SUSI advised him on the 29th January 2021 advising that he was liable to repay the overpayment in accordance with Section 24 of the Student Support Act 2011.
SUSI has no discretion to vary or modify the criteria laid down within the provisions of the Student Grant Scheme and its governing legislation.
