Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the motion and commend Deputy Charlie McConalogue on tabling it. During my long years in politics, the payment of higher education grants has always given rise to many issues. The first relates to the fact that people are obliged to supply so much detailed information with their application forms. It is easier to deal with the applications process at local level than by means of a new centralised system. There are, however, ways to proceed, to which I will return.

The other issue which arises is that of duplication. There certainly was duplication under the old scheme. In Galway, for example, one could be obliged to deal with the county council and County Galway VEC. If applications went to the wrong body, delays would result. I accept that there was a need to rationalise the system. However, the Minister and his Department should have made better preparations for the change to a centralised unit. The Department had plenty of time to make such preparations. Like previous speakers, I wish to offer the example of the changes made to the system for the allocation of medical cards. In that instance, the relevant Department decided to introduce the scheme for those over 70 years of age before centralising the entire application system for medical cards. As a result, there was a phased introduction. The system to which I refer is not perfect, but I was glad to hear many colleagues - even those on the Government side - state there should also have been a phased introduction of the system for the awarding of student grants. Perhaps it should have been introduced in Dublin and the rest of Leinster before being rolled out to other parts of the country. The new system seems to have been introduced in a very confusing way.

When the centralised applications unit for medical cards was established, many smallholders in my county were of the view that they should continue to do what they did previously, namely, provide details of livestock and herd tests for their local welfare officers. However, this was not acceptable to the centralised applications unit. The same issue arises in respect of the detailed information which must be submitted to SUSI. We must ask whether it is possible to use new technology to transmit all the relevant information to a single unit. I hope this proves to be the case. I am concerned that when the new water services body and its centralised unit are established, similar problems will arise.

As previous speakers indicated, the position on adjacent and non-adjacent grants has given rise to confusion. In view of the number of applications returned to those who made them because they were incomplete, it will not be possible for the Government to honour its commitment that the processing of student grants will be completed by the end of the year. Students will be obliged to resubmit their applications and will have to wait until after Christmas and into the new year for their grants. I do not believe such students should be placed at a disadvantage in attending lectures and accessing library and other on-campus facilities.

Last Saturday's edition of the Irish Independent contained an article about students facing late fee penalties. I have heard no response to this claim from the Government. It is welcome, however, that the Higher Education Authority contacted universities and institutes of technology about this matter on students' behalf. Third level institutions should ensure student grant applications are dealt with and that individuals will continue to have access to student services until their grants are paid. The Minister thought that the new system would ensure students would receive information more quickly, but that has not proved to be the case.

Third level students are waiting for their grants. Huge numbers of applications are being classed as incomplete and students have been requested to provide further documentation. I saw a report on television last night in which a student indicated that he had applied for a higher education grant five months ago and that he had yet to receive a response. Students cannot wait any longer. If delays arose in issuing grants under the old system, students would still receive approval letters from their local authorities. As a result, they could register fully with the third level institutions they were attending. Let us consider coming up with a way to fund the third level sector without placing a burden on students. I understand third level fees are going to increase by €1,000 by 2015 and that a capital asset test will be introduced next year. That test will make it more difficult for farming families and the self-employed to qualify for student support. I am very much opposed to the increases to which I refer. I am concerned about the fact that SUSI does not have sufficient staff to allow it to deal with the applications submitted to it. Students will be obliged to drop out of college, which will be a disappointing development.

There are two issues on which I wish to make a brief comment. I would not like there to be further cutbacks in the part of the education budget relating to special needs assistants, SNAs. Children with autism and special educational needs require the services of their SNAs. Career guidance is an integral part of the school curriculum and the decision to remove the specific allocation for guidance counsellors from second level schools was heartless. This decision affected 1,000 guidance counsellors in 700 schools and impacted on the most vulnerable and disadvantaged students. I hope the Minister will reverse the decision to which I refer and reinstate the ex-quota allocation of guidance counsellors.

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