Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to raise one issue on the cash flow situation from the HEA to the various third level institutes. I accept it is only a small part of it, but up to now the local authorities have paid student support grants to third level institutes. Now, we have this new organisation that we all know as SUSI – Student Universal Support Ireland. I have been dealing with it on behalf of constituents. I understand it will make its payment to the third level colleges in ten monthly instalments, as opposed to the big lump sums local authorities made. The new approach is a far better way. Local authorities will be making cash payments to the third level colleges. Student Universal Support Ireland will be making payments to them also, and the HEA will be making payments. This is probably why large sums of cash are received. It would be better if the Department of Education and Skills were responsible. Most of the money comes from the delegates' budget. Payments to local authorities, through the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, are spread out over the year. Bearing in mind the Department's cash flow management and the cost to the Exchequer - I am not suggesting that having cash means having a surplus - I believe it would be better, in terms of the overall management of the State's cash position, if the money were allocated in a more even way. Other arms of the State are paying overdraft interest. I am sure the HSE and local authorities are doing so, while, on the other hand, the delegates' organisation is earning interest. The cash flow requirement needs to be managed a little better.

With regard to bank concessions to the third level colleges, the figure for 2008-09 was €9.4 million, that for 2009-10 was €11 million and that for 2010-11 was €9.9 million. What are the figures for the last academic year, 2011-12, and the current year? The delegation should know given that they provide funding. They should try to find the figure and send it on to us. They should know it in order to manage cash flow and ensure unnecessary sums of money are not being allocated that could be used somewhere else by another Department.