Mary Moran (Labour)

I also welcome the doctors who join us from Bahrain and echo the sentiments on the issue expressed by Senator Darragh O'Brien and other speakers.

I welcome the introduction of the new central online system for student grant applications announced by the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, this morning, which went live today. In the past, students and their parents had to submit grant applications to their local authority or nearest vocational education committee. The process was not centralised and each authority or VEC applied its own criteria. The new system, known as Student Universal Support Ireland, or SUSI, will process all applications for student support and distribute payments to students for the coming academic year. It is envisaged that this process will be much quicker and easier to use and end the long delays encountered by students. Not only will the process be more beneficial to students, it will also save the taxpayer approximately €5 million once the transition is complete.

I acknowledge the publication of the draft report on symphysiotomy, for which I have called on several occasions in the House. It was prepared by Professor Una Walsh and will be the subject of a consultation process between now and 13 July, the final date for receipt of written feedback. I ask my colleagues, if they know of any victim or interested parties, to alert them to the fact that the draft report has been published in order that they may submit responses which will inform the final report and ensure survivors of symphysiotomy will, I hope, receive redress and have closure for the dreadful act carried out on them.