Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 445: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when the Student Support Bill 2008 will be passed at committee stage during this Dáil session; if he will confirm that despite the his intention to pass the Bill, the existing schemes and administrative arrangements will remain in place following enactment of the legislation; when the new arrangements detailed in the Bill will come into effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18879/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The position is that a number of amendments are currently being considered arising from a review of the Student Support Bill following the Second Stage debate and further consultations since publication. A number of legal issues have arisen in the course of preparation of the legislation which require further advice and clarification.

A number of the amendments to the Student Support Bill are at the final stages of preparation and my Department is currently working closely with the Office of the Attorney General to finalise any outstanding matters. I hope to be in a position to have these amendments finalised shortly with a view to progressing to Committee Stage before the summer recess.

As the Deputy is aware, the legislation will make provision for the transfer of sole responsibility for student grants to the VEC sector. Given the current budgetary situation across the public sector, resources are not currently available to advance transition to the new administrative arrangements in the immediate future. In the circumstances, it will be necessary to continue with the existing schemes and administrative arrangements for a period post enactment of the legislation.

While it is not possible to say definitively at this point when the transfer of the administration of all new applications to the VEC sector will take place, I can assure the Deputy that the situation is being kept under continuous review in the context of the availability of resources. In this regard, I am anxious, in light of the commitment to put all student grants on a statutory footing, to provide a statutory basis for all of the existing schemes for the intervening period. A number of amendments arising from this are currently a priority for my Department.