Mr. Seán Ó Foghlú:

There are a number of difficulties and challenges in relation to the process operations. We would certainly agree that one of the lessons that has been learned is the manner in which, when applications were made, further information was sought and the further information was provided, the application did not come up for reconsideration quickly enough.

The City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee is undertaking a review. It advertised for tenders and the closing date for the receipt of tenders was 8 February. A selection process was finalised by the VEC and Accenture was appointed. It will identify and analyse the current business process. It will measure the performance of the current process with reference to the overall objectives of the administrative reform of student grants. It will identify any gaps in performance against the overall objectives, establish the root causes of these gaps, including those relating to documentation, processing and payment, as Deputy Nash stated, produce a report which summarises its findings, and make detailed proposals, including an implementation plan for improvement in the timeliness and effectiveness of processing and payments with reference to the proposed scale of operations for the 2013-2014 academic year and future years. The proposed timeline for completion of the review is the end of March and the review is under way.