Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 July 2015
454. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has conducted any review of the rules of assessing estrangement used by Student Universal Support Ireland; if she is aware of any review conducted by Student Universal Support Ireland on the matter; and the outcome of any of these reviews. [26896/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra455. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide clear guidelines to grant authorities that will compel them to recognise genuine evidence from students that demonstrates estrangement from their families. [26897/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 454 and 455 together.
Cases of genuine estrangement are relatively rare and almost always will involve exceptional circumstances unique to a particular family situation. The scheme does not stipulate precisely how an awarding authority satisfies itself that such circumstances prevail. This is to allow the awarding authority sufficient flexibility to assess the evidence of irrevocable estrangement in each individual case.
It is difficult to legislate for all possible scenarios that can lead to genuine estrangement cases. Setting out guidelines as to how students can demonstrate estrangement will by their very nature, restrict the assessment of estrangement cases to those that fall within these guidelines. Such restrictions may not be in the best interest of students genuinely in this situation.
