HEAR Reviews and Appeals

Reviews & Appeals

The CAO has an Independent Appeals Commission (IAC) to which recourse may be had by applicants who believe that they have been treated unfairly by CAO, and whose complaints have not been resolved by CAO. The function of the Appeals Commission is to ensure that the rules are applied fairly. The Appeals Commission cannot set the rules aside for applicants who appeal for special treatment.

The CAO Independent Appeals Commission (IAC) will consider appeals from:

1. Applicants who miss the HEAR 1 March deadline

2. Applicant who missed the HEAR 10 March deadline, i.e. applicants who applied to DARE or HEAR by 1 March but did not provide any of the required supporting documents by 10 March

3. Applicants who miss the July review and appeals deadlines, i.e. applicants who met the 1 March and 10 March deadlines, received an ineligible outcome from DARE or HEAR but missed the review and appeals deadline.

The CAO Independent Appeals Commission considers appeals in a consistent manner under the following set of tests:

Has CAO made an error or omission in instructing the applicant or in processing the applicant’s application?
Has the applicant been given clear instructions?
Has the applicant been given reasonable opportunity to provide information correct, complete and on time?
Has the applicant been given reasonable opportunity to correct errors or omissions?
Has some event or circumstance, outside of the applicant’s control, prevented the applicant availing of the above opportunities?

Appeals must be made in writing using the Appeals Form and posted to CAO.

Download and print the appeals form from www.cao.ie/appeal.
This appeals form must be completed and signed by the applicant and must describe the alleged unfair treatment.
Appropriate third party supporting documentation must accompany the appeal.
Write your Name, Address, CAO Application number, Date of Birth and Email address on the Appeals Form.

Appeal documentation submitted without a completed Appeal form will be returned.

Applicants who miss the HEAR 1 March Deadline

Appeals of this nature must be submitted by 1 May 2027 for consideration by the CAO Independent Appeals Commission.

Applicants wishing to make a 1 March deadline appeal must:

Download, print and complete the Appeals Form in full from cao.ie/appeal and provide a brief summary outlining the nature of their appeal.
Provide objective documentary evidence in support of their appeal.

Appeals of this nature must be made in writing and addressed to:

The Secretary,

CAO Independent Appeals Commission,

Tower House,

Eglinton Street,

Galway, Ireland.

Examples of why an applicant might appeal may include:

An applicant who missed the 1 March deadline due to circumstances beyond their control, for example they were hospitalised for a significant period and as a result missed the 1 March deadline. Appeals of this nature must be accompanied by documentary evidence from a consultant or professional working under the instruction of the consultant outlining the details of the circumstances which prevented the applicant from meeting the 1 March deadline.

2. Applicants who missed the HEAR 10 March Deadline

Applicants to HEAR who have missed the 10 March deadline i.e. who have not provided any HEAR supporting documentation by the deadline can make an appeal to the CAO Independent Appeals Commission on the following grounds.

Appeals relating to missing the 10 March deadline will only be considered

Where a significant difficulty was encountered in gathering and/or submitting HEAR supporting documents, which was beyond the control of the applicant. The applicant must have made a reasonable and timely effort to get documentation (i.e. initiating this by 10 February).

Where a significant difficulty was encountered in gathering and/or submitting the correct HEAR supporting documents, which was beyond the control of the applicant, third party or objective documentary evidence must be provided to support this.

Examples of why an applicant might appeal on these grounds may include:

They had made reasonable attempts to request HEAR supporting documents in a timely fashion (i.e. initiating this by 10 February) but had not received documents in advance of 10 March.

A significant event occurred which was beyond their control, for example they were hospitalised for a significant period and as a result were unable to gather or submit their documents by 10 March.

Examples of documentary evidence may include:

A letter from the relevant body or organisation explaining that the applicant had requested supporting documentation for the purposes of HEAR and due to an oversight or unforeseen delay at the organisations end, they were unable to provide that documentation in a timely manner.

Email correspondence with the relevant body or organisation clearly showing that the applicant had requested supporting documentation for the purposes of HEAR and due to an oversight or unforeseen delay at the organisations end, they were unable to provide that documentation in a timely manner. HEAR reserve the right to verify correspondence with the third party.

A letter from a Consultant or professional working under the instruction of the Consultant outlining the details of the circumstances which prevented the applicant from meeting the 10 March

Applicants wishing to make a 10 March deadline appeal must:

Download, print and complete the Appeals Form in full from www.cao.ie/appeal, and provide a brief summary outlining the nature of their appeal.
Provide objective documentary evidence in support of their appeal.
Provide the required supporting documentation e.g.

HEAR

Statement of Liability for 2025 and/or
Self-Assessment Letter Chapter 4/Notice of Assessment for 2025 and/or
Department of Social Protection form/statement for 2025.
Other required evidence of income supporting documentation.

Appeals of this nature must be made by 1 May to:

The Secretary,

CAO Independent Appeals Commission,

Tower House,

Eglinton Street,

Galway, Ireland.

Applicants who submitted any of the required supporting documentation by the 10 March deadline should not make an appeal to the CAO Independent Appeals Commission. They may avail of the Review & Appeals process if they receive an ineligible application outcome. (HEAR application outcomes will be issued after 2pm on TBC 2027. The DARE HEAR review and appeal online application form opens on TBC and closes at 5pm on TBC. Please follow the instructions given).

Communication of Appeal Outcomes

Applicants who submit an appeal will receive email correspondence to the email address registered with their CAO application. This communication will also be available under the Correspondence/Communication section of their online CAO application.

I got an ineligible outcome

Review and Appeals Process

HEAR uses a Review and Appeals process to make sure that all HEAR applicants are treated in accordance with our published criteria and screening procedures have been applied consistently.

DH Application outcomes issued : TBC.
TBC – online Review and Appeal Application form opens.
17:00 on TBC – Closing date for submission of online Review and Appeal Application form.
17:00 on TBC – Receipt of supporting documents to support Review and Appeal Application.

This Review and Appeals process is the only way of having an ineligible outcome re-examined. You can make a HEAR Review and Appeal application for one or more the following reasons.

1.You believe there was an administrative error in assessment.

2.You were deemed ineligible due to the omission of or error in your supporting documents. You now wish to submit this document(s) for consideration along with either:

2.1 Proof of postage

2.2 Objective documentary evidence showing you experienced significant difficulty in gathering or submitting documentation despite having made a reasonable and timely effort to get documentation.

2.3 Objective documentary evidence showing that there was a third party error in the content of your documentation.

3. You wish to provide further information or amend existing information in relation to Criterion 2 (Medical Card/ GP visit card), 3 (Means Tested Department of Social Protection Payments), 4 (Area Profile) & 5 ( DEIS school attendnace) through the online review form. This new information must be supported by objective documentary evidence.

4. You believe that, the assessment of your application, published criteria were not applied or terms and conditions were not followed.

You should provide documentary evidence to support your claim.

1. You believe there was an administrative error in assessment.

If you wish to make a Review and Appeal application on the basis of a possible administrative error, you must complete the online HEAR review and appeal form on your CAO application before TBC 2027.
The information you submitted in your HEAR application and the supporting documents submitted before TBC 2027 will then be considered by the Review and Appeals Team and you will receive an outcome of this process in early August.

2. You were deemed ineligible due to the omission of or error in your supporting documents. You now wish to submit this document(s) for consideration along with either:

2.1 Proof of postage

If you wish to make a Review and Appeal application because your supporting documents have been lost in the post and you have kept proof of postage and photocopies of all supporting documents, you must complete the online HEAR review and appeal application form on your CAO application before TBC 2027.
To complete your Review and Appeals application under Ground 2.1, you must submit proof of postage showing that your documents were posted by the closing date of 10 March 2027 and clear copies of the original supporting documents you posted by 10 March 2027 to the CAO.
Your request for a Review and Appeal of your application is NOT complete until you have supplied this information to CAO. If this is not received at HEAR Review & Appeals 2027, CAO, Tower House Eglinton Street, Galway by 17.00 on TBC 2027, a review of your application will not be possible.

2.2 Objective documentary evidence showing you experienced significant difficulty in gathering or submitting documentation despite having made a reasonable and timely effort to get documentation.

If you wish to make a Review and Appeal application on the basis of Ground 2.2, you must complete the online HEAR review and appeal application form on your CAO application before TBC. You need to submit objective documentary evidence and the relevant appropriate documentation by TBC 2027.
This documentary evidence should explain the context of the delay you experienced in gathering or submitting documentation despite having made a reasonable and timely effort to get
documentation (i.e. initiating this by 10 February), and should state as clearly as possible that this delay was beyond your control.

Examples of why you might appeal on these grounds may include:

You had made reasonable attempts to request DARE or HEAR supporting documents in a timely fashion (i.e. initiating this by 10 February) but had not received documents in advance of 10th March.
A significant event occurred which was beyond your control, for example you were hospitalised for a significant period and as a result were unable to gather or submit some of your documents by 10th March.
The professional or organisation who issued the documentation made an error in the original document and they are now providing you with the new document along with an explanation of the error.

Your request for a Review and Appeal of your application is NOT complete until you have supplied this information to CAO. If this is not received at HEAR Review & Appeals 2027, CAO, Tower House Eglinton Street, Galway by 17.00 on TBC 2027, a review of your application will not be possible.

2.3 Objective documentary evidence showing that there was a third party error in the content of your documentation.

If you wish to make a Review and Appeal application on the basis of the omission of or error in your supporting documents, you must complete the online HEAR review and appeal application form on your CAO application before TBC 2027. You need to submit objective documentary evidence and the relevant appropriate documentation by TBC 2027.
This documentary evidence should explain the context of the third party error in the content of your documentation and should state as clearly as possible that this error was beyond your control.
Your request for a Review and Appeal of your application is NOT complete until you have supplied this information to CAO. If this is not received at HEAR Review & Appeals 2027, CAO, Tower House Eglinton Street, Galway by TBC 2027, a review of your application will not be possible.

3. You wish to provide further information or amend existing information in relation to Criterion 2 (Medical Card/ GP visit card), 3 (Means tested Department of Social Protection Payments), 4 (Area Profile) & 5 (DEIS school attendance) through the online HEAR review and appeal application form.

If you wish to make a Review and Appeal application on the basis of Ground 3, you must do this by completing the online HEAR review and appeal application form on your CAO application before TBC. If you wish to provide further information in relation to Criterion 2 (Medical Card/ GP visit card), you can do so through the online HEAR review and appeal application form. You should supply your correct PPS Number if it is your Medical Card,/ GP visit card or your parent’s/ guardian’s PPS Number if the Medical Card/ GP visit card is under their name.

If you wish to provide further information or amend existing information in relation to Criterion 3 (Means Tested Department of Social Protection Payment), you can do so through the online HEAR review and appeal application form and by submitting the Department of Social Protection (DSP) Form or DSP Statement for 2025.
If you wish to provide further information or amend existing information in relation to Criterion 4 (Area), you can do so through the online HEAR review and appeal application form. This new information must be supported by objective documentary evidence. These documents listed below are those accepted as proof of your address, provided that the document is dated within the time frame of 1 November 2025- 1 March 2027:
Utility Bill (gas, electricity, telephone, mobile phone)
Letter from house or car insurance companies
Statement from a Bank, Building Society, Credit Union, Credit Card Company
Correspondence from a Government Department, Local Authority or the Revenue Commissioners
Correspondence from the Health Service Executive (HSE)
If you wish to provide further information or amend existing information in relation to Criterion 5 (DEIS school attendance), you can do so through the online HEAR review and appeal application form. You should use the drop down menus to select which county you went to secondary school in and what secondary school you attended. If your school is not listed you will select “My School is Not Listed”. You must also select the number of years you spent in that school, or in each school if more than one. You must supply your correct PPS number so the information can be verified with the Department of Education and Skills.

Where objective documentary evidence if required, your request for a Review and Appeal of your application is NOT complete until you have supplied this information to CAO. If this is not received at HEAR Review & Appeals 2027, CAO, Tower House Eglinton Street, Galway by 17.00 on TBC 2027, a review of your application will not be possible.

4. You believe that, the assessment of your application, published criteria were not applied or terms and conditions were not followed.

If you wish to make an online Review and Appeal application on the basis that published criteria were not applied in the processing of your application or terms and conditions were not followed, you must complete the application form on the CAO website before TBC 2027. You need to submit documentary evidence to support your claim by TBC2027. This documentary evidence should outline where you believe published criteria were not applied or terms and conditions were not followed.
Your request for a Review and Appeal of your application is NOT complete until you have supplied this information to CAO. If this is not received at HEAR Review & Appeals 2027, CAO, Tower House Eglinton Street, Galway by 17.00 on TBC 2027, a review of your application may not be possible.

“Third party”, in relation to making a Review and Appeal application, refers to an organisation (e.g. a school), a professional (e.g. Psychologist, Consultant), or state bodies (e.g. Revenue, Department of Social Protection) separate from the applicant or the applicant’s parent(s)/ guardian(s).

“Objective evidence” refers to documentation from this third party (i.e. not written or compiled by the applicant or the applicant’s parent[s]/ guardian[s]), which details the error made by the third party or provides information about why an error on the original application was beyond the control of the applicant. Examples of this documentary evidence may include:

A letter from the relevant body or organisation explaining that you had requested supporting documentation for the purposes of DARE and/or HEAR and due to an oversight or unforeseen delay at the organisations end, they were unable to provide that documentation in a timely manner.
Email correspondence with the relevant body or organisation clearly showing that you had requested supporting documentation for the purposes of DARE and/or HEAR and, due to an oversight or unforeseen delay at the organisations end, they were unable to provide that documentation in a timely manner. DARE and HEAR reserve the right to verify correspondence with the third party.
A letter from a Consultant or professional working under the instruction of the Consultant outlining the details of the circumstances which prevented you from meeting the 10th March deadline.

The following information will be taken into account during the Review and Appeals process:

The information you provided on your online application by 1 March 2027
The supporting documents you submitted by 10th March 2027 and
Information you provide on your online Review and Appeals application form by TBC 2027 and, where applicable, documentation (e.g. with objective documentary evidence or proof of postage) you provide by TBC 2027. Change of circumstances cannot be considered during the Review and Appeals process.

If you would like to make a Review and Appeal application, complete the online Review and Appeals application form by TBC 2027. You will find the Review and Appeal application form under the My Application section of the CAO website on www.cao.ie . A Review and Appeal application is not considered to have been received until you receive an email from CAO confirming receipt.

If you would like more information about your application, please contact CAO Helpdesk by clicking Contact Us on www.cao.ie or phone 091 509800. Alternatively you can contact the Access Office of any participating HEAR Higher Education Institution here.

I wish to appeal my score

Review and Appeals Process for HEAR Eligible Non-Priority Applicants:

HEAR uses a Review and Appeals process to make sure that all HEAR applicants are treated fairly and screening procedures have been applied consistently.

Key Dates for Review & Appeals:

TBC: HEAR application outcomes issued.
TBC: Online Review and Appeal Application Form opens.
TBC: Closing date for submission of the Online Review and Appeal Application Form.
TBC: Deadline for receipt of supporting documentation for Review and Appeal Applications.

If you wish to be considered for a higher HEAR criteria eligibility score, you may submit an online Review and Appeal application. You can make an online HEAR Review and Appeal application for one or more of the following reasons:

You believe there was an administrative error in assessment.

You received a lower criteria score due to the omission of, or error in your supporting documents. You now wish to submit this document(s) for consideration along with either:

Proof of postage.

Objective documentary evidence showing you experienced significant difficulty in gathering or submitting documentation despite having made a reasonable and timely effort to get documentation.

Objective documentary evidence showing that there was a third-party error in the content of your documentation.

You wish to provide further information or amend existing information in relation to Criterion 2 (Medical Card/ GP visit card), Criterion 3(Means tested social Department of Social protection payments) Criterion 4 (Area Profile) or Criterion 5 (DEIS School attendance) through the online Review and Appeal form. This new information must be supported by objective evidence.

You believe that in the assessment of your application, published criteria were not applied or terms and conditions were not followed. You should provide documentary evidence to support your claim.

The following information will be taken into account during the Review and Appeals process:

– The information you provided on your online application by 1 March 2027

– The supporting documents you submitted by 10 March 2027 and

– Information you provide on your online Review and Appeals application form by TBC 2027 and where applicable, documentation (e.g. with objective documentary evidence or proof of postage) you provide by TBC 2027. Change of circumstances cannot be considered during the Review and Appeals process.

If you would like to make a Review and Appeal application, complete the online HEAR Review and Appeals application form by 5pm on TBC 2027.

You will find the Review and Appeal application form in the ‘My Application’ section on www.cao.ie.

A Review and Appeal application is not considered to have been received until you receive an email from CAO confirming receipt.

For more information, contact the Access Office in one of the participating colleges

Who is the the HEAR access route for?

For more information on HEAR and to see if it is for you, click on more information below

How do I apply?

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