Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The assessment and payment of third level or further education grants is a matter for the relevant local authority or VEC. The timing of payment varies between the 66 awarding bodies depending on a number of variables including the volume of applications received, staffing resources and whether or not properly completed application forms have been received.

In order to address the overall issue of delays in processing and payment of student grants, I am moving ahead with plans to introduce a single grant awarding authority from 2012. In this regard, following the recommendation of an independent selection panel and subject to agreement of an implementation plan, the City of Dublin VEC will be designated as the single grant awarding authority. The centralised awarding authority will operate on a transitional basis accepting all new applications from the 2012/13 academic year. The existing grant awarding authorities will continue to process grant renewals for their grantholders. Although the existing 66 awarding bodies will continue to process grants for 2011/12, I am pleased to be able to inform the Deputy that students can look forward to some significant improvements to the student grant schemes this year when it is intended to introduce a single unified scheme to replace the existing four schemes. In tandem with these developments, my Department will continue to roll out the grants online application system and the payment of grants to students by way of electronic funds transfer. All of these developments are designed to provide a better and more efficient service for students and will provide for fundamental reform of the student grants system commensurate with the provisions of the Student Support Act.