Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a 25% cut has taken place in the budget for academic personal assistants for students with disabilities in third level institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32664/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Support for full-time students with disabilities in third level institutions, including personal assistants, is provided under the Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD), which is one of a number of funding programmes which come under the Third Level Access Measure. There has been no cut in the budget for the FSD. A gross allocation of €12.5m has been set aside by the Higher Education Authority for the FSD for the period 2009-10 (1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010). This represents an increase on the gross outturn for the previous year (€11.7m).

However, it is likely that ongoing increases in the numbers of students applying for support under the FSD will impact on the level of allocation in individual cases. In the circumstances, institutions have been given greater discretion and flexibility in ensuring that allocations are targeted to best meet the needs of the students involved.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 182: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will explain the delay in progressing the Student Support Services Bill 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32665/09]

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.