Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 132: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when the Student Support Bill will be published; the pre-consultation that has taken place with students and representative bodies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40222/06]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 142: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when the Student Support Bill will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40160/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 142 together.

The Deputies will be aware that, in accordance with the commitment in the Agreed Programme for Government, I plan to introduce a single unified scheme of maintenance grants for students in higher education. This will, I believe, provide for a more coherent administration system which will facilitate consistency of application, improved client accessibility and ensure the timely delivery of grants to those who need them most. This is part of my overall plan 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.

To effect these administrative and service improvements requires the introduction of a new statutory basis for the scheme to replace the existing arrangements which involve a mix of statutory and non-statutory administrative schemes. Accordingly, the Government has approved the drafting of a new Student Support Bill which will place all student support schemes on a statutory footing for the first time, including providing for the designation of an appropriate awarding authority and for the general basis on which grants will be awarded to eligible students.

Work on the Bill is at an advanced stage and I hope to be in a position to publish the Bill in early 2007. My Department has, as I have indicated previously, engaged in substantial consultations with the key stakeholders, including students in order to map the most logical and effective arrangements for the future structure and administration of the student support schemes. This process of consultation is on-going. Implementation of the Bill when enacted, will take place in consultation with the relevant stakeholders to ensure an orderly transition and minimise disruption to students.