Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I said, the Deputy can appreciate that the decision taken by the Government was to streamline the process by which third level grants are received, processed and paid out. That was so that they would be done earlier and more efficiently, and to ensure monthly payments would be made to students' accounts. Prior to this, there were 66 processing organisations - the local authorities and the VECs.

See this speech in context