Students left in financial limbo during summer

Dear sir - I am a 21 year-old student who has moved back home to Meath for the summer. I have been unable to find work despite looking for the passed couple of months. I am finding it hard without any income and so I decided to go to my local social welfare office to sign on. After I had filled out all the forms, I was told they could do nothing for me and that I was not entitled to anything from them or anyone else. I have since discovered that a student who is in between years in collage is not entitled to anything. This is ridiculous. While in college, the majority of students rely on government grants in one way or another. To qualify for a grant you, or your parents, must earn under a certain amount per year. If you are entitled to a grant, this means the government has recognised your need for financial assistance. If you need this assistance during the college year, why would you not need help during the summer months as well? You recieve the first grant payment a few weeks after your course starts in September and the last one before your end of year exams. After this, you find a job, earn money and save what you can. If, due to the current economic condition, you cannot find a job, what do you do? You have two choices that I can see. You can either depend on your parents, or seek financial help from social welfare, which apparently we are not entitled to, so I guess it"s down to the parents. I"m sure that many family situations are similar to mine. Both my parents are in pre-retirement and I also have another sibling living at home with them. Money is stretched enough as it is, without another mouth to feed. As well as that, an extra person means more expensive ESB bills and an increase in other general expenses. The financial strain can be felt in the day-to-day running of the household. The only relief we are entitled to is the €6 my father can claim for me as a dependant. I am left worring and wondering how my parents will cope with the added strain over the next three months if I cannot find work. I also wonder how I will be able to save money for a deposit for my accomodation to live in Galway where I attend college. If I cannot afford the rent until my grant comes through, I will be unable to return to college to do my third year. I wonder how many others are in the same position and facing the same prospect? Are there are others like myself who face the possibility of not being able to return to college because the government does not appriciate our need for financial aid during the summer months? I have to wonder, will there be enough students left that are able to complete their studies and become the next generation of individuals to run our country? This problem needs to be rectified, and soon, as it is unsatisfactory and unfair. Yours, Naoimh Johnston, Kildalkey.