Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

42. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the Student Universal Support Ireland review report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25859/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The City of Dublin VEC commissioned an external review of Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, to identify the causes of the processing difficulties experienced in 2012 and to set out a specific programme of action to address them. The review contains a series of recommendations, many of which are already being implemented by SUSI. In line with these recommendations and in preparation for the 2013-14 academic year, both the online application system and the application assessment process are being further developed to enhance their effectiveness to deal with the difficulties experienced in year one.

A number of new initiatives will make the application process more efficient this year, including the following: information sharing between SUSI and Government agencies such as the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Social Protection, the General Register Office and the Central Applications Office. These links should significantly reduce the number of documents required from applicants themselves, and it was the requirement of this set of documents that caused part of the problem.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply and welcome the publication of the report on SUSI. The fact that over half of students were not paid their grant until after Christmas last year was totally unacceptable. It led to some students having to drop out of college and exceptional financial duress on families which had to support students in college while they were waiting for a grant to come through.

The report by Accenture reviewed what went wrong within SUSI and has made recommendations on what should happen this year. Much of them are already in train. The report did not cover how it came to be in the first place that SUSI was established in a way that led to its failure. The Department had a role in that so has the Minister conducted any review on how SUSI was awarded the tender in the first place and the oversight and assessment of that process? From the outset it seemed clear that it would not work. Although it was a key project, it led to serious hardship on students. Not only do we have to learn the lessons of what went wrong with SUSI when it was established, but we must also learn lessons on the award of the contract in the first place. What was the role of the Minister and the Department in that context? Has there been an internal investigation to ensure these mistakes will not be made again?

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his questions. The Department had no experience of administering the grant system and from day one, there were 66 different bodies involved, with the county councils on one hand and vocational educational committees on the other. We did not get a centralised reporting mechanism back to the Department to indicate which counties were doing well, although there were anecdotal stories of delays which every one of us would have got as Deputies or Senators. They issues were dealt with locally or at council level.

The Student Support Act 2011 was supported by all parties, including my own in opposition, and I facilitated the Bill's passage before the Dáil disintegrated before the election. Three bodies expressed an interest in performing the grant awarding function and representatives were interviewed by the Department, which had overall responsibility under the new Act but no operational experience in that regard. The three groups which submitted an interest in running the project had operational experience and the City of Dublin VEC - the largest in population terms in the country - made the most convincing bid.

Did we get it wrong? Yes, we got it collectively wrong. Are we fixing it? I believe we are. Have I examined what happened in the Department? I have done so and I am giving the Deputy an analysis of what was given to me, and I have no reason to second-guess that. We have it right now but I will not take my eye off the ball this year because of the reasons which the Deputy brought to my attention last year.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The process failed on two counts. The first was a failure to deliver grants to students more quickly, as the Minister admits, and the second was a failure to make the process more efficient in its first year. I ask the Minister to give an assurance to students that we will not see a repeat of this next year. We need to learn the lessons of what went wrong in this regard, as it is not the only part of the public service that is being changed and reformed. The fact that this process went so wrong must be investigated, with any assessment published so that it can be examined within the Oireachtas and other Departments can benefit. Will the Minister give a guarantee to students that in so far as it is possible, we will not see a repeat of what happened last year? Will he publish the Department's assessment and analysis of how it got the process wrong and the lessons to be learned from it?

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I can give a positive answer to the first request as it will be better this year. I will not publish any document because I do not have a document. I was briefed by officials working in extremely difficult circumstances because like everybody else, their income has been reduced and their workload has been increased. I am not looking for people to scapegoat. I am the person to be scapegoated and I am here in front of the Deputy. I will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure we improve the service but I am not in the business of looking for scapegoats in the Department. I am proud to be there and I am proud of the work and the loyalty given to the Department of Education and Skills.