Ms Jacinta Stewart:

A question was asked about appeals. One of the mistakes we made in the initial stages was to put those who had been refused straight into the appeals process. We should have provided for internal reviews in such cases. This would have sorted out the issue relating to the adjacent rate and non-adjacent rate much more quickly. Next year, we will use internal reviews to ascertain quickly whether it is possible that a mistake has been made. The matter of adjacent and non-adjacent rates is an example of that. These reviews will be done by a different VEC - the City of Cork VEC - on behalf of SUSI. Students who have gone through that system will then be able to appeal to a national appeals board, which has a separate statutory basis. It is actually independent of everybody. I should also mention that SUSI has come under the ambit of the Ombudsman since 1 May last. The concerns dealt with in that context largely relate to administration and the general functions of the Ombudsman's office. I will ask my colleague Mr. Conroy to talk about the 118 students I mentioned, the issue of estrangement and the particular concerns we have encountered in such areas.