Father’s death cert sent 3 times in grant bid

A student seeking a grant has had to submit her father’s death certificate three times to the agency set up to make applications faster and simpler, the Dáil has been told.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn also heard of a family in which one son did not qualify for a grant but his brother, who has already got his first instalment, fears being asked to pay it back.

The revelations came as Mr Quinn outlined that a review of Student Universal Support Ireland (Susi), part of City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee, will examine if it was properly prepared for the work it took on.

Susi is handling all first-time grant applications and will eventually take over all grants from 66 councils and VECs.

But, to date, Susi has only paid grants or college fees to fewer than 26,000 of the 35,000 students expected to qualify, with payments due for 3,781 once their bank accounts and other details are provided. Mr Quinn said Susi has told him more than 9,000 applicants have not provided any financial documents, and another 10,000 have returned incomplete documents or have been asked for additional paperwork to allow their applications proceed.

Sinn Féin education spokesman Jonathan O’Brien said the reality is very different to what he is being told about students being asked for documents.

“I know of one individual who was asked for her father’s death certificate three times,” said Mr O’Brien. “She has sent in her father’s death certificate for a third time now. That’s just what’s happening, it is being lost.”

Mr O’Brien said two brothers from Kerry applied for grants and to have their college fees paid and one was awarded but the other was denied, even though they live in the same house with the same income.

“When the brother who was denied queried it, he was told he wasn’t entitled to it because they didn’t satisfy the means test,” he said.

But when it was pointed out that his brother had received the grant, Mr O’Brien said Susi checked the system and said his brother was refused as well.

“Now his brother has received the registration fees, he’s currently in receipt of the maintenance grant, yet it’s showing up on the Susi central system that he has been refused and no money was handed out,” he said.

Mr O’Brien said this was just an example of how flawed the system is.

Fianna Fáil education spokesman Charlie McConalogue said all TDs and student union officers know of students who have supplied all the documents but are being asked for things for a second or third time, and in some cases, a fourth.

Mr Quinn said the terms of reference of a review of Susi’s operations are being finalised, as well who shall carry it out. He said everyone, including Susi, acknowledges there have been problems and the review will consider how adequately prepared the agency was and if it properly anticipated the scale of work involved.

Susi has received 4,042 appeals up to last Friday in relation to grants refused of levels of payment awarded. Mr Quinn said staff are being reassigned to ensure the remaining 1,337 students get a timely decision.