Council has no plans to link household tax to grants

Offaly County Council has no plans to ask grant applicants to show proof of household charge payment before their grant application is processed, the Offaly Independent has confirmed. The issue arose last week when it came to light that Clare County Council had sent letters to student grant applicants requesting them to submit household charge payment receipts in order to progress the payment of the first instalment of their student grant. While new student grant applicants are dealt with by central grant authority Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), renewal applications continue to be processed by local authorities. The linking of household charge payment and grant applications has been widely condemned, though it has been defended in some government quarters. However Offaly's Barry Cowen raised data protection concerns over the issue and said he has written to the Data Protection Commissioner. The Fianna Fáil TD said Environment Minister Phil Hogan was unable to clarify in Dáil on Tuesday last whether advice on data protection issues had been sought before the letters had been sent out. It's thought the move came without consultation with the Department of Education. Furthermore the Student Support Act 2011 is thought not to provide for withholding of the grant payment on foot of non-payment of a household charge. Speaking to the Offaly Independent Head of Finance at Offaly County Council Declan Conlon said Offaly County Council will be making no moves to link the payment of the household charge to grant payments. "We're not doing that," he said, adding that the council has "no plans" to do so either.