Cecilia Keaveney (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me raise this issue and thank the Minister of State for attending to respond on it. I have asked for the Minister for Education and Skills to ensure that any increase in registration fees is ring-fenced for student services. I have also asked that students applying for college courses for the next academic year be simultaneously allowed to apply for their grants so that the delays in payments experienced this year will be eliminated.

I know we have this debate every year and understand it is not strictly the Department of Education and Skills that has control over the situation. That said, we need strong negotiations between the Department and the Department of Finance to ensure the criteria for the grants are issued as early as possible. Students I encounter day in, day out point out that they need to concentrate on their exams in their final year at school but they must make their applications for courses. We should put a mechanism in place in order that when students apply for their course, they also apply for their grant. In that way they would put in the time required to fill in their forms which would then move on to the adjudication mechanism, either the vocational education committee, VEC, or the county council. This would be of benefit also to county council and VEC staff who would not face an avalanche of applications late in the year, such as what they are currently trying to battle their way through. While I feel for the VEC and county council staff in this regard, I feel more for the students.

I would like clarification on the current situation. I am aware some county councils are issuing student grants in batches and that while grants for some students have been processed, the next batch will not be processed until approximately 29 November. I understand some of these grants have been allocated but are in the system waiting to be transferred either by cheque or electronic transfer. We are at a time when we are taking cost-cutting measures and trying to achieve efficiencies and effectiveness. In this technological age, all grant awarding bodies should be at a stage where an electronic transfer can be made directly to students when the adjudication process is complete. This issue relates also to the fear people have that the current €1,500 registration fee will be increased to €3,000. If this happens, it is important that any increase is ring-fenced for student services.

I urge the Minister of State to ensure the Department encourages the grant awarding bodies to participate in career days in schools.

There are career days in many schools but few of them invite the grant-awarding bodies to explain the cost of going to college. It should not scare students off but prepare them for it. One council with which I am familiar sends an official to secondary schools to talk to first year students and their parents to suggest €5 per week be put away towards a college fund. The official also explains to fifth year students the college application process and the information required by the grant-awarding bodies. It was noted this led to better accuracy in the application forms and, in turn, a faster processing time.

Could a central body send information to all final year students on how this operates? Very often, students concentrate on getting the course they want, only to discover when they start college they have to put down a €1,500 student services fee. Other charges pop up unexpectedly like a deposit for accommodation. Information should be provided from this point in the year to prospective students to ease their burden and the college application process. I hope the Departments of Finance and Education and Skills will work towards a process whereby the forms for college applications and third level grants will be filled out at the start of each school year. I also hope any fees they pay are ring-fenced for their benefit. It is important we bring newly qualified people into the workforce.