Dear Editor,

I wish to draw attention to what I consider to be gross negligence on the part of Meath County Council (MCC) and their administration of my daughter's third level grant.

Anna is a second year medical student at UCD. She had a resit in August 1995 and was successful. The college notified MCC by post in a register of students on September 26th that Anna was continuing her medical studies. This was followed by subsequent updated lists on October 24th, November 16th and invoices for fees to MCC on December 4th.

Anna's name was listed in all correspondence. On October 30th an examinations report was also sent from UCD and I understand this is the only criteria which MCC will accept as legitimate announcement that a student is actually at college.

On receipt of the exam report from UCD and after several queries about the grant from us, MCC contacted my home for further information. They sought either a fax or letter confirming my elder daughter Clare's status she is a student in Northern Ireland for whom I receive no maintenance.

Within one day of their request the information was posted to MCC with the name of the official for their special attention. They also had a record of this information from last year when Anna received a full grant.

After the passage of two weeks, Anna, my husband and I phoned the grants' department in the council. On every occasion that I rang it was an answer phone. I left messages but was not contacted. I also left a message at the main desk complaining that their grants' office was not manned on the occasions that I had rung and reiterating to that person my concerns which she said she would pass on.

On December 7th I rang the council again and was told by a staff member that they had not received my letter confirming Clare's status (sent nearly four weeks ago by this time) nor had she received any messages from me. This frankly I do not accept as adequate nor in fact do I believe it.

With only two weeks to go to the end of term, my daughter Anna was crying her eyes out. She works weekends - Friday 2 to 9 p.m., Saturdays 2 to9 p.m. and Sundays 2 to 9 p.m. in a local nursing home. She has had to maintain herself, buy her books which in medicine are expensive, pay her travel home and bus fares during the day. And now the agency from whom she negotiated a loan are giving her grief understandably so. As sole breadwinner in a family of six, I wish to reiterate what has been proven by research namely that this "free education system" militates at all levels against those who are not financially secure or those from low income families. What can you do about it? Can anybody do anything about it?

Will my daughter and others dependent on grants have to go through this torture every year? Are there any guidelines issued to councils about the efficient and prompt payment of grants? If not why not? Will the negligent council pay the interest on my daughter's loan?

Yours,

Beach Park,

Laytown,

Co Meath.

cc. John Bruton, Taoiseach; Niamh Bhreathnach, Minister for Education; Tom Kelly Meath County Council.

P.S. We were informed on 18th December by the County Secretary's secretary, that all the relevant forms are with the relevant staff officer, who is out sick, and therefore there will be a subsequent delay in approving the application, obtaining sanction and processing of the payment.