All third-level grants will be paid, says council

Clare County Council insists its decision not to send out more third-level grant ­application letters with a request about the payment of the €100 Household Charge is not linked to a protest in its headquarters last week.

A group of anti-Household Charge campaigners and college students marched in the front door of the council headquarters on Friday. The group, who carried protest placards, staged a peaceful protest in the reception area of the council offices and requested a meeting with county manager, Tom Coughlan, who was not present at the time.

A senior council official met a three-person delegation and explained the council’s stance in relation to the controversial letter.

According to a council spokesman, the council had already made the decision not to issue further letters to Higher Education Grant applicants as the publicity surrounding the matter has generated sufficient awareness of the Household Charge and how the revenue generated by it is central to maintaining key services such as grant processing.

Since February 2012, the council has actively being seeking to raise awareness about the requirement of householders to pay the Household Charge as required by law under the Local Government Regulations 2012. The authority stated it has initiated numerous public awareness campaigns in the local media to engage with members of the public.

“As part of the ongoing public awareness campaign being conducted by Clare County Council in relation to the Household Charge, Higher Education Grant applicants have been requested in recent weeks to clarify whether they had paid the Household Charge.
“All eligible applicants, irrespective of whether they have paid the Household Charge or not, will have their payments issued as expeditiously as possible,” a spokesman reiterated.

“The budgeted cost for administering Higher Education Grants in 2012 is €91,000.

“The council doesn’t receive any direct payment for processing grants,” the spokesman added.