Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 176: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when Committee Stage of the Student Support Bill 2008 will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32622/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that a number of amendments to the Student Support Bill in relation to legal and policy issues which have arisen since Second Stage are being advanced by my Department in close consultation with the Office of the Attorney General.

The Bill makes provision for the transfer of responsibility for student grants to the VEC sector. In the existing budgetary situation, resources are not currently available to advance transition to new administrative arrangements in the immediate future. However, it is not possible to say definitively at this point when new administrative arrangements can be put in place and I am anxious, in light of the commitment to put all student grants on a statutory footing, to provide a statutory basis for all student grants for the intervening period.

Therefore, I am endeavouring to progress to a single scheme of grants as provided for in the Bill at the earliest possible date, while further exploring the options for administrative streamlining in the context of budgetary considerations and the Government's overall programme of public service reform, Transforming Public Services.

This will require further amendments to the Bill and my Department has been working closely with the Office of the Attorney General in that regard. Subject to any technical, drafting and legal considerations arising, I hope to be in a position to have these amendments advanced sufficiently in order to progress to Committee Stage in the autumn session.