Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

Certainly, I will facilitate it on behalf of Fine Gael. It is important that the Minister provides such an assurance. The Minister stated she plans to introduce a single awarding authority by September 2012 or 2013. I had hoped this would take place by September 2011. Is that possible? What are the hold-ups? Originally, when the Bill was published in 2008 it was intended that the vocational education committees, VECs, would become the single grant awarding authorities. However, when the Bill returned on Committee Stage recently, several substantial amendments were made, including the provision to change the policy direction and instead provide a single grant-awarding authority to be determined by the Minister. The Minister had stated there was a possibility this could be outsourced. Will the Minister confirm on what basis she might decide that one VEC or council might not get it or that the process might have to be outsourced? Will the Minister put it out to tender? What will the Minister's criteria be for determining which way to go?

Fine Gael has long favoured a single grant awarding authority. It is unbelievable that we have lasted with 66 grant-awarding authorities and it is no wonder it was a mess. Our position is clearly laid out in our Reinventing Government public sector reform document. Fine Gael seeks greater efficiencies in the delivery of all citizen entitlement claims, including the student maintenance grant. We have long acknowledged that the current system is costly and administratively burdensome and as a result has resulted in time wasting. We have long proposed a one-stop-shop payment and entitlement service which would act as a single point of contact for citizens who wish to make a variety of claims. It would cut out the administration and reduce the waiting times for grant distribution.

We proposed several amendments to the Bill in the Dáil in respect of the creation of a one-stop-shop or single agency, the inclusion of part-time courses as and when State finances improve as well as amendments to the appeals system. The Minister stated she would consider the provision of support for part-time students when resources allow. Given the position today, will the Minister clarify at what point she would deem that to be the case? What would the state of Exchequer health have to be before the Minister would provide maintenance grants for part-time students? Such students do not qualify for free fees at present. Many of them have families and must stay working, if they have work. One could argue that they are doubly affected and worse off to some extent. We need full-time students but it is a wonderful luxury to be a full-time student, especially as a mature student. Will the Minister clarify at what point she would deem that to be the case?

I was pleased to see an independent appeals system built in. Will the Minister clarify the timeframe in this regard? I have received several questions from students on this matter. The legislation suggests it is feasible for a student to wait up to 150 days for an answer to an appeal. The breakdown of the waiting time is 30 days, 30 days and 90 days for the administration of the payment from the awarding body. A period of 90 days is far too long, amounting to an entire semester of 12 weeks. If the new body cannot govern appeals within 45 days then it has not been set an appropriate target by the Minister. This will leave students in dire straits.

What is the purpose of the Student Support Bill? It is to enable and facilitate students to go to college without being under undue stress. Some students have been under considerable stress. My colleague in the Dáil, Deputy O'Dowd, revealed on 25 November last that 20%, or 13,000, of all student grants had not been processed by that date, representing a considerable number of people under stress. This issue ranks among the top four queries brought to my constituency office. The main point students bring to our attention is the delay. The backlog in applications with VECs and county councils sees a delay of up to four months in them being processed. When processing the application finally begins, it can take another four weeks to finalise as not all paperwork may have been submitted by the applicant. I agree that is the applicant's fault but the authorities' having to issue letters further delays proceedings. The process must be streamlined.

I am delighted a better application form has been introduced. Will it be available online? If so, will it point out to an applicant when it is not correctly filled out? For example, when purchasing an airline ticket online, if the details are not correct it will request they be changed.