S.I. No. 570/2020 - Student Grant (Amendment) Scheme 2020

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 4th December, 2020.

I, SIMON HARRIS, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 16 of the Student Support Act 2011 (No. 4 of 2011), and the Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2020 ( S.I. No 451 of 2020 ) as adapted by the Education and Skills (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020 ( S.I. No 450 of 2020 )), with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, hereby make the following scheme of grants:-

1. This Scheme may be cited as the Student Grant (Amendment) Scheme 2020.

2. In this Scheme “Principal Scheme” means the Student Grant Scheme 2020 (S.I. No. 76 – of 2020).

3. This Scheme comes into operation on 30 November 2020.

4. Article 6 of the Principal Scheme is amended – by the deletion of the word “three” and replaced by the word “four” and by the insertion of the following class of grant after “(c) a postgraduate fee contribution:”

“(d) COVID-19 Once-off Emergency Grant”

5. Article 13 of the Principal Scheme is amended by the insertion of the following article after article 12:

“COVID-19 Once-off Emergency Grant

13 – A student or tuition student who has been awarded and is in receipt of a maintenance grant, or a fee grant, or a postgraduate fee contribution will qualify for the COVID-19 Once-off Emergency grant payment. A student, or tuition student, or postgraduate fee contribution recipient may not qualify for, or benefit from more than one of these payments. ”

6. Article 32 of the Principal Scheme is amended by the insertion of the following article after article 31:

“Rate and Value – COVID-19 Once-off Emergency Grant

32 - The COVID-19 Once-off Emergency Grant is payable on a once off basis in accordance with Article 13, at the rate specified in Schedule 5.”

7. Article 40 of the Principal Scheme is amended by the insertion of the following article after article 39:

“Payment of COVID-19 Once-off Emergency Grant

40 - Payment of the COVID-19 Once-off Emergency Grant shall be made by the awarding authority to all eligible students, tuition students or postgraduate fee contribution recipients.”

8. The Principal Scheme is amended by the insertion of Schedule 5:

“Schedule 5

Rate of COVID-19 Once-off Emergency Grant for the Academic Year 2020/21

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform consents to the making of the foregoing Scheme.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform,

30 November, 2020.

MICHAEL MCGRATH,

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science,

30 November, 2020.

SIMON HARRIS,

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.