Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 February 2024
4. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he and his Department will consider removing the eligibility criteria exclusion of the category of parents of an Irish citizen for SUSI applications in relation to persons with permission to remain under a stamp 4 visa. [9088/24]
View answerOnce again, I ask the Minister if his Department will consider removing the eligibility criteria exclusions of the category of parents of an Irish citizen for SUSI applications in relation to persons with permission to remain under a stamp 4 visa.
I thank the Deputy and acknowledge his long-standing interest in this. The short answer is, yes, I will give consideration to this and work with the Deputy on it.
To be eligible for a student grant, an applicant has to fulfil all of the criteria of the student grant scheme, including the residency and nationality criteria. In terms of residency, a student must be ordinarily resident in Ireland, the EU, the EEA, Switzerland or the UK for at least three of the five years before embarking on an approved third level course. To qualify for a student grant, the candidate's nationality or immigration status in the State determines whether they meet the nationality requirements. The nationality requirements for the student grant scheme are set out in the Student Support Act 2011 and the student support regulations. They include a number of eligible permissions granted by the Minister for Justice; for example, refugees and dependent children of naturalised Irish citizens. When an applicant applies, the basis of their permission is examined to confirm whether it meets one of these approved permissions.
Under Article 32 of the student grant scheme, there is provision for a review of eligibility where a person’s circumstances change during the academic year. This includes a change in a student's nationality or immigration status. Where a student acquires Irish citizenship by naturalisation or is granted a category of permission to remain provided for in the legislation during the course of their studies, they may apply to SUSI to have their application reassessed, but they will only become eligible from the date of meeting the eligibility criteria.
The Deputy may be aware that my Department publishes an annual options paper on cost of education and changes to the student grant scheme. This paper sets out various costed options to stimulate debate and to inform priorities for the Estimates process. On foot of the Deputy's question, I have asked my officials to consider some options relating to immigration status and whether they could be identified and costed in the published options paper which I hope to be in a position to publish this summer. That will allow for consideration in advance of the Estimates process.
I thank the Minister. The last part of the contribution was really helpful. I want to remind the Minister that this is the third time I have brought this to Priority Questions. A response to me from Minister in March 2022 stated: "I do not wish to make the Deputy uncomfortable, but I found myself agreeing with him during the previous Question Time ... I have done some work on it and I am committing now to intensify that work to try to get a positive outcome." I do not doubt for a second that the Minister appreciates the complexity of this issue, but it is one that has a tangible and genuine impact on stamp 4 visa holders.
In terms of outlining the problem, we already know what it is. In terms of bringing about a solution, I want to work with the Minister. I ask him to give me a date when I can come into his office and possibly bring one or two people who write this question every year with me so that they can work with him to find a solution. It is having a damaging effect. What are we going to do to address this issue?
I accept the Deputy's frustration. This is an area where we have genuinely tried to do quite a bit of work as a Department over a significant period to improve the access opportunities for people through education who find themselves in Ireland through a variety of migration routes. We have made some good progress in that regard and I am proud of some of the increased supports we have put in place to help people access education and, crucially, get into the world of work and be able to make a living for themselves and their families.
We will now look at this in the context of the next scheme and see if we can make progress. My commitment in the House is that when we publish our costed options in the cost of education paper this summer, this will be included as an option and will be costed. That will help to inform the debate we may have in the House and the consideration the Government may give to the matter around the Estimates time.
The student support regulations will, I understand, be released in May for 2024. I ask for a commitment from the Minister that this will be factored into that. Is that what the Minister is committing to me, namely that stamp 4 visa holders will be costed in the student support regulation for 2024? That did not appear in the 2022 or 2023 papers. This is a perfect opportunity to address this issue. The figures may not be in the 2024 paper, but perhaps I and another person could have a meeting with the Minister to see what could be included in terms of making a change.
I am very happy to have a meeting with Deputy Gannon on the matter. I am happy to see if this can be considered and included in the new scheme. It will be included in the options paper, in terms of the cost of education measures we can take in advance of the budget. I am happy to have a meeting with Deputy Gannon and perhaps a constituent on this matter.
