Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if existing student grant payments have been paid by all local authorities and Vocational Education Committees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54666/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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As the Deputy may be aware, continuing students who are renewing their student grant for attendance on an existing course with their existing awarding authority, which will be either a local authority or a VEC, will continue to have their applications processed and paid by the relevant grant awarding authority. Continuing students on a level 6 or level 7 course in the Institutes of Technology will continue to be paid their grant directly by their institution. The 66 grant awarding authorities as at the 16th November, 2012 awarded grants to some 34,764 students and paid student grants to some 22,695 students. In addition some 4,967 students have been paid directly by their Institute. This data has been compiled from information provided to my Department by the 66 grant awarding authorities and the Institutes of Technology.

A student grant comprises of two elements, maintenance and fees, with a number of students only qualifying for one of those elements. Those students qualifying for the fees element only would be included in the number of renewals awarded by the grant awarding authorities. However, the number of students paid by the grant awarding authorities and the institutes is only reflective of those paid the maintenance element of a student grant. The migration of the new applications to SUSI has enabled the 66 grant awarding authorities to process renewal applications on a more efficient basis - these are generally more straightforward and require significantly less documentary evidence.