Monthly Archives: April 2021

I’m doing my Leaving Certificate this year and plan to go to college in the autumn. How do I apply for a student grant?

Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) awards higher and further education grants to people living in Ireland.

You complete an application form online to apply to SUSI. You must have an online account with SUSI before you can make your application. SUSI accepts grant applications for the 2021-2022 academic year from 22 April 2021.

You can use SUSI’s eligibility reckoner to see whether you meet the criteria for student grant funding.

These include:

• You must be an Irish, UK, EU, EEA or Swiss national. You may also be considered for a grant if you have refugee status, subsidiary protection or leave to remain in Ireland.
• You must have been ordinarily resident in Ireland for three of the last five years.
• Your family’s means must be under the specified threshold for the previous tax year (2020). If you or your family have had a change of circumstances during the tax year, your changed circumstances may be taken into account.

You must be attending a course that is approved for a student grant. You can see the list of approved institutions and courses on SUSI’s website.

If you are refused a grant or are approved a grant at a rate that you don’t think applies to your situation, you can appeal the decision in writing to SUSI. You must appeal within 30 days of getting your decision.

If you are living in direct provision or are in the international protection system, you can apply for support under the Student Support Scheme for Asylum Seekers. 

You can read more about the Student Grant Scheme on  citizensinformation.ie.

During COVID-19, you can find comprehensive integrated information online at citizensinformation.ie/covid19/ and you can get daily updates on what’s changed on Twitter at @citizensinfo.

You can also get information and advice from:

• The Citizens Information Phone Service: Call 0761 07 4000, Monday to Friday, 9am – 8pm
• Our national call back service: Visit citizensinformation.ie/callback to request a phone call from an information officer

You can continue to contact your local centre by email or phone using the details in the Find a Centre page on citizensinformation.ie.

What is an emergency medical card and how do I apply for one?

An emergency medical card is a medical card that you can get without a means test in certain emergency situations.

You can get an emergency medical card if you:

• Have a terminal illness and have been told you have 24 months or less to live
• Are getting end-of-life treatment
• Need urgent ongoing care and urgently need a medical card

Only a healthcare professional (for example, a doctor or consultant) can apply for an emergency medical card for you. They will send the application to the HSE.

If your application is approved, it can take up to 10 days to get your medical card in the post. However, your card will be active within 24 hours of your application being processed.  Your GP, pharmacy and hospital staff will see your card is active on their systems. This means you can access medical card services while you wait for your card in the post.

If you get a medical card because you have a terminal illness and have been told you have 24 months or less to live, the HSE will never review your card and your card will never expire.

If you get a medical card because you are receiving end-of-life treatment, the HSE will never review your card and your card will never expire. End-of-life treatment means you have been told you have less than 12 months left to live.

If you get a medical card because you need urgent ongoing care and urgently need a medical card, your card will expire after 6 months. You will need to complete a means assessment before your emergency medical card expires. The HSE will write to you to remind you to do this.

You can get more information from the National Medical Card Unit on (051) 595 129, or lo-call 1890 252 919 or you can contact your local Citizens Information Centre.

You can read more about emergency medical cards on citizensinformation.ie

During COVID-19, you can find comprehensive integrated information online at citizensinformation.ie/covid19/ and you can get daily updates on what’s changed on Twitter at @citizensinfo.

You can also get information and advice from:

• The Citizens Information Phone Service: Call 0761 07 4000, Monday to Friday, 9am – 8pm
• Our national call back service: Visit citizensinformation.ie/callback to request a phone call from an information officer

You can continue to contact your local centre by email or phone using the details in the Find a Centre page on citizensinformation.ie.

I am due to have a baby in three months and have arranged to take maternity leave. Am I entitled to any more paid leave to look after the baby?

Parent’s leave is a statutory entitlement for parents that allows each parent 5 weeks paid leave for a child born or adopted on or after 1 November 2019.  It aims to let working parents spend more time with their child.

It must be taken within 2 years of the birth of a child or in the case of adoption, from the date of placement of the child. If you have enough PRSI contributions, you get a weekly Parent’s Benefit payment of €245 from the Department of Social Protection during parent’s leave.

You can take parent’s leave in one 5-week block or in 5 one-week periods.You can visit citizensinformation.ie to find more about parent’s leave.

Parent’s leave is different to parental leave. Parental leave is unpaid and can be taken up until the child’s 12^th birthday.

Summary of leave available for parents

You can read more about family leave and benefit on citizensinformation.ie

During COVID-19, you can find comprehensive integrated information online at citizensinformation.ie/covid19/ and you can get daily updates on what’s changed on Twitter at @citizensinfo.

You can also get information and advice from:

• The Citizens Information Phone Service: Call 0761 07 4000, Monday to Friday, 9am – 8pm
• Our national call back service: Visit citizensinformation.ie/callback to request a phone call from an information officer

You can continue to contact your local centre by email or phone using the details in the Find a Centre page on citizensinformation.ie.

My daughter is starting secondary school in September and we live 5 kilometres from her school. Am I eligible for the School Transport Scheme?

You may qualify for the School Transport Scheme. The scheme provides subsidised school transport for both post-primary and primary pupils. Bus Éireann runs the school bus service and the Department of Education decides the annual fares.

The service is only provided where there are at least 10 eligible pupils in a distinct locality that can be economically serviced by a bus route. Even when a pupil meets the age and distance criteria for school transport, there is no legal entitlement to it.

Your daughter is eligible for the Post-Primary School Transport Scheme if she is attending her nearest school and lives 4.8 kilometres or more from the school. The Department and Bus Éireann determine the appropriate nearest school with regard to ethos and language.

Parents must arrange to bring their child to the nearest pick-up point on the bus route. Generally, bus routes are organised so that no pupil has more than 3.2 kilometres to travel to a pick-up point.

There is a single annual charge of €350 per pupil. However, a family does not pay more than €650 per year. In 2021, the charge is due to be paid in full by the end of July or else in 2 instalments: by the end of July and by 26 November. Pupils who are eligible for school transport and who hold a valid medical card are entitled to free school transport to the nearest school.

Since your child is enrolling in post-primary school for the first time, you should either apply for school transport online or download the form on Bus Éireann’s website. Applications are now being accepted for the 2021-2022 school year. Applications for the school transport scheme 2021-2022 close on Friday, 30 April 2021.

You can read more about the School Transport Scheme on citizensinformation.ie.

During COVID-19, you can find comprehensive integrated information online at citizensinformation.ie/covid19/ and you can get daily updates on what’s changed on Twitter at @citizensinfo.

You can also get information and advice from:

• The Citizens Information Phone Service: Call 0761 07 4000, Monday to Friday, 9am – 8pm
• Our national call back service: Visit citizensinformation.ie/callback to request a phone call from an information officer

You can continue to contact your local centre by email or phone using the details in the Find a Centre page on citizensinformation.ie.