Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join others in expressing grave concern at the incompetence of SUSI and whatever officials are involved at organising this process. The older analogue version organised on a regional basis was much more effective. We were all given an undertaking last year that it would be much quicker this year and that it was in students' interests. We now have anecdotal evidence that students are packing in courses as a result of not being able to secure the necessary finance to go on. I join other Senators in expressing dismay at the attitude of SUSI and the witnesses who appeared before the committee this morning. They outlined how they were doing their best. With an appeals mechanism now open to people, how many months will it take for appeals to be processed? Appeals in the case of, for example, carer's allowance and farmers' payments, can take nine months to a year. Is it the intention of SUSI and the Government that if my student grant is declined, provided I can get money from banks - which apparently have no money to lend and only have money to give for pensions and so on and will not give anything to students - I will not be able to continue with my education? If, somehow, the money is to come out of thin air while my appeal is to be adjudicated on I might find myself in second or third year of studies. There are many reasons for failure but there are no excuses. Effectively the Minister and whichever of his colleagues can best assist with this will need to manage this personally. He needs to make a statement on when funding will be made available and how quickly appeals will be heard. He needs to ensure this process is completed expeditiously because it has been an unmitigated disaster, as was seen from the contributions at today's committee meeting.

I seek a debate - this is close to the Leader's heart - in advance of the Minister's announcement of the hospital groupings nationally. There is a suggestion that the Leader's local hospital, Waterford Regional Hospital, will be linked to Dublin and I do not know how the hospitals in the north west will be linked. I have serious concerns as to the criteria being used.