Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 445: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress to date on the administration of the higher education grants scheme by the vocational education committees; and if additional funding will be made available to them to employ additional staff to deal with the extra work. [25419/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, following the announcement of the decision to consolidate the administration of student grants in the VEC sector, the Government gave approval for the drafting of a new Student Support Bill, which was published in early 2008.

The Bill is part of an overall programme of legislative and administrative reform of student grants and provides for the designation of grant awarding authorities and for the general basis on which grants will be awarded to eligible students. The passage of the Bill will facilitate progress on the two other significant pillars of this project, the development of a single unified grant scheme and consolidation of the administration of student grants within the VEC sector.

The Department is working closely with the IVEA to develop the new administrative structures required to support more efficient and effective delivery of the new unified grants scheme and to identify any additional resources necessary, which will fall to be considered in the context of available resources.