John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this topic. This originates in the centralisation of CAO applications which has been flagged for some time but is due to be implemented in September. I understand this involves new applications so it will mainly affect leaving certificate students applying for grants for the first time.

We all witnessed the difficulties in the old system with delays and backlogs, particularly in recent years. All public representatives have received appeals at local level to sort out those problems.

However, the reason I raise this matter today is that there is a fear among some parents and students that what was a backlog at local level will now be 66 times greater and cause a total bottleneck at national level. Local authorities in the past provided information evenings for parents and students on how to fill in forms and get them in on time and so forth. What plans are in place to get this system up and running in a smooth, streamlined way that will not end up causing a bigger problem than the one it is designed to resolve? Will there be information evenings or will information be provided through the schools? Will there be help-lines and websites available? Will applicants get quick responses to inquiries? A positive aspect of the old system was that students or their parents were able to call to the local office and meet somebody face to face. Will we be confronted with help-lines which nobody answers? The success of this system will be gauged on how little public representatives are involved. In other words, if it is successful and there are no problems, we will not hear about it.

We saw what happened with the centralisation of the administration of medical cards. While that situation has been alleviated to some extent, I am raising this matter in the Topical Issues Debate today because prevention is better than having to implement a cure when there is a crash under a mountain of applications. The system will apply to new applicants, that is, students going into third level for the first time. They have enough trauma and enough issues to overcome without being faced with a situation similar to that which has occurred in the past, where students were threatened with being unable to sit examinations because the grant had not been paid. What plans are in place to ensure this system works?

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