Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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Question 56: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her plans for vocational educational committees to take over fully the administration of the higher education grants scheme; if she intends to alter the method of assessing means in the context of this change or in the Third Level Student Support Bill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25920/06]

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 58: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when changes to the third level grants system will be in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25794/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 58 together.

As I announced recently the State's thirty three Vocational Education Committees (VECs) are to be given sole responsibility for the administration of third level student maintenance grants for all new applicants with effect from the 2007/08 academic year.

The change in the administration arrangements are part of my overall plans to introduce service improvements in the administration of the student grant schemes. These will include guaranteed timeframes for the earlier payment of grants, an independent appeals procedure and more efficient arrangements for handling applications and making payments. Giving sole responsibility for administering the grants to the VECs will reduce the existing client confusion caused by a variety of agencies being involved, depending on the county. It will mean that we can now achieve a greater consistency of approach across the country, while at the same time retaining local service delivery and reducing unnecessary duplication of bureaucracy.

I have no plans at present to alter the method of assessing means for grant purposes, however I plan to have a specific provision in the proposed new student support Bill in relation to the means of applicants. This will enable the Minister to make regulations governing the assessment of means in deciding whether or not a student will be entitled to receive a student grant.