Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 September 2026
202. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of a SUSI grant application for a person (details supplied); the reason for the extensive four-month delay and repeated requests for duplicate documentation from the applicant; if a review of the file will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69042/26]
View answerThe main support available to students is the statutory based Student Grant Scheme which is administered by SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland). Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions for funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the awarding authority, SUSI, to determine. As part of the assessment process, SUSI may request supporting documentation to assess an applicant's eligibility for a grant.
An official from my Department has advised that SUSI received an application for grant funding from the student referred to by the Deputy on 29 June 2026.
The applicant declared in their application that they were entering year three of their course in the 2026/2027 academic year, and that they would be required to complete a period of off-campus placement as a compulsory part of their course.
In a letter to the applicant on 14 July 2026, SUSI requested additional documentation in relation to advanced entry/previous academic history and information relating to their off-campus placement.
I am advised that additional documentation was received on 12 August 2026 and 28 August 2026. Following review of this documentation, some of the information requested to complete the assessment of the application remained outstanding. Accordingly, a letter was issued on 17 September 2026 seeking the details necessary to enable SUSI to finalise its assessment of the application. Once SUSI receives this documentation, they will be queued for review by SUSI’s assessment team.
Applicants who are unsure of the information or documentation required to assess their eligibility are encouraged to contact SUSI directly for assistance.
