Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide the volume and value of third level grants paid by 13 November 2011 in respect of grant applications submitted in 2011. [51147/12]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide the volume and value of third level grants paid to date in respect of grant applications submitted in 2012. [51148/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 245 together.

The data in relation to the number and value of student grants paid by the 13 November 2011 is not available in my Department.

SUSI, the new centralised grant awarding authority as at the 16th November, 2012 paid student maintenance grants to some 4,420 students to the value of €1,385,291.42. In addition fee grants to the value of €1,467,657.92 have also been paid in respect of a number of students. This data has been supplied to my Department by SUSI.

SUSI is continuing to make payments on a weekly basis to ensure students can get paid their grant as expeditiously as possible, once they have been awarded a grant. All new student grants approved for this academic year will be paid by electronic funds transfer on a monthly basis directly to students' bank accounts, rather than by cheque to the relevant college. Those awarded a grant must supply bank account details and confirmation of registration must be received from the institution in order for the first instalment to be paid.