John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I am replying on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, and I thank Deputy O'Mahony for raising this important matter.

The Student Support Act became law last year, providing for fundamental reform of the student grants system. In practice, what this means is that, instead of four different student grant schemes with different terms and conditions, there is now just one consolidated scheme which the Minister introduced in 2011. The Minister has also made arrangements for the designation of a single grant-awarding authority under the Act, which will replace the existing 66 grant awarding bodies - local authorities and vocational education committees, VECs - for all new applications from 2012-13. These developments will make it far easier for students applying for grants and should make the processing of applications more efficient and consistent.

It is planned that the new universal online grant application system will go live from 28 May next. It will be operated by Student Universal Support Ireland, or SUSI, which has been established as a unit of the City of Dublin VEC. SUSI will commence operation for all new grant applicants for the 2012-13 academic year and it is intended that all new grant applications will be made online. The new application process will be applicant-centred and aims to provide a more efficient service for the student. The existing 66 grant awarding bodies will continue to deal with the renewal of applications for their existing grant-holders for the duration of their current courses.

SUSI has a comprehensive communications plan which is already well under way. Various stakeholder groups have been targeted, including school principals, guidance counsellors and existing awarding authorities. Students themselves are being targeted through social media and other multimedia channels informing them about the role of SUSI and the process of grant application. In addition, the communications strategy will be supported by print media advertisements in the national press and local and national radio. Following the online launch, the availability of the grants online system will continue to be widely publicised.

Another significant part of the customer service strategy is the SUSI support desk, which will deal with e-mail and telephone queries relating to the application process and grant scheme. This support desk is already available during office hours and an extended service will be available when the online application system is launched. The service will provide a comprehensive response to queries from students, parents and other information providers nationwide.

The formulation of the 2012 student grant scheme is currently being finalised. The 2012 scheme and regulations will be issued to coincide with the go-live date for the online grant applications system on 28 May 2012. I am sure the Deputy will agree that this is a positive example of genuine public sector reform. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and for his comments on it. He will agree that the fundamental reforms being delivered in this area have the potential to be transformative in their effect. The establishment of a single student grant awarding authority will provide both for significant improvements in the student experience of the grant system and for substantial efficiencies for the State in the administration of support to students to ensure access to higher education.

This fundamental reform of the student grant system also represents a concrete development in meeting the objectives set out in the action plan for the education sector under the Croke Park agreement. I believe it will ensure a better and more consistent level of customer service for all those who rely on these critical supports.

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