John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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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?

John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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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.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister's comprehensive reply. The key issue is to prepare the way, and all those methods of advertisement, including the website going live on 28 May, are welcome. I am glad the Minister is using social media as well to convey the message. If all this information is disseminated to the parents and students in advance, there will not be a problem. The Minister referred to a help-line or telephone line. Will applicants who use that line get to speak to somebody or will they be left hanging on? This was the big issue in the medical card area, where people were left hanging on the telephone or had to leave a message but nobody got back to them. The other issue that arose was where an application was not filled out correctly. When further information was sent in, the original application and the new information were not connected. These are the pitfalls that helped create the mayhem in the medical card system for the first six months. Will those pitfalls be avoided in this case?

John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I assure the Deputy that the Minister, Deputy Quinn, is a transforming Minister in the education area. This is a major transformation in the grants system. While the Deputy referred to the example of the medical card system, we are dealing with a completely different cohort of people in this area. They are very much into social media and the Internet. There is also the involvement of local radio. In addition, this will only apply to new applicants. I am confident that we are dealing with a highly intelligent student base who will be familiar with social media and can make their applications online. It will be a keep-it-simple application.

Given the access to information, I sincerely hope there will not be much requirement for telephone guidance but if it is required, I am assured it will be provided in a very effective way that will allay concerns. A one-stop-shop for grants is a tranformational concept. It will certainly ensure that people will know where they stand, and I have been assured it is designed to keep everything very simple. Applicants will fill in the boxes and provide the relevant information. It will be a user-friendly website. I accept the Deputy's concerns about people not getting through on the telephone and so forth. That concern prevailed in the medical card situation but I assure him there will not be a repeat of that in this area.