Vol. 424 No. 2
20 Mr. Kavanagh asked the Minister for Education the measures, if any, he will take to ensure that higher education grants and ESF grants are paid to students at the earliest possible date; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
60 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Education his views on whether there has been a magnification of the many problems associated with the different grant schemes, in particular the fact that many grants will not be paid until well after the start of the college term; the reason this delay occurs; and if he intends to make the necessary changes to bring the payment date into line with the needs of the students who benefit from these grants.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 60 together. There has been a significant increase in applications under the student support schemes this year due, inter alia, to the major improvements which I introduced — in particular increased income eligibility limits and the provision for mature students.
My Department anticipated this increase and organised a number of seminars and advisory sessions for the relevant personnel in the local authorities and the vocational education committees — the bodies entrusted with the administration of the schemes. These personnel were briefed on the 1992 schemes and a standard comprehensive application form was designed to expedite the processing of grant applications.
I am aware that the local authorities and vocational education committees are making every effort to ensure that grants are issued to eligible candidates at the earliest possible dates, which it is anticipated would not differ significantly from previous years.
Third-level student support schemes are subject to regular review and all matters relevant to their operation are being taken into account in the context of developing the 1993 schemes.
Is the Minister aware that because of changes in means testing, etc.— effectively four different schemes have to be administered — there are considerable delays in the payment of grants at local authority and vocational education committee level? Is he aware also that because of the length of the application form some two-thirds of the applications submitted for student grants had to be sent back to the applicants? Will he consider the introduction of some arrangements so that in future applicants can apply for student grants during the normal school year and thereby be assisted by guidance counsellors and other personnel in filling out application forms?
The Deputy politely referred to the measures taken this year as "changes". It should be pointed out that there was a very substantial increase in the eligibility limit. For example, the figure of £10,000 was increase to £15,000. There were increases of up to 50 per cent in the grants limits. This meant that thousands of students thought they might qualify for a grant — in previous years the figures were too low. The figure was increased so that it was on a par with the average industrial wage. This meant that there was an enormous number of applicants this year, which clogged up the system very substantially. The grants are being paid this year around the same time as they were paid last year. I wish to remind the House that I have ordered a full review and streamlining of the administration of the grants system. We need to iron out many of the difficulties in the day-to-day administration of the scheme. In fairness to the very fine officials administering the scheme, this year they were absolutely swamped because we were offering grants to thousands more students. Because of that we managed to take in a few extra thousand students to third level this year.
Is the Minister aware that this decision was taken by his immediate predecessor last December and announced in January and that eight months elapsed before the special staff were assigned to the vocational education committees, that the majority of staff were not trained in this complex area and that it is signalled that it will be at least Christmas before these people get their grants? What about the reform promised in the Programme for Economic and Social Progress and in the Programme for Government and by the Minister in this House in relation to the whole area of third level grants?
This year saw the most dramatic and historic increases in student grants, with up to 40 per cent and in some cases 50 per cent increases in eligibility limits, which brought thousands more students into the system. The cost will amount to many millions. A large number of public officials have been struggling with the additional demand and doing the best they can. We will get the grants paid as soon as possible, certainly well before Christmas.
Would the Minister agree that when a Government introduces any scheme of grants for education or anything else they have a serious moral obligation to see that those grants are paid within a reasonable time? Would he agree that these grants will not be paid within a reasonable time and will he take steps to put the matter right?
The grants have been paid at approximately the same time every year.
Too late every year.
They have been paid around October. We will try to improve the position next year.
Would the Minister not agree that the new form for third level grants was needlessly complicated and in some instances required an inordinate amount of back-up documentation? I heard one county manager say recently that paying the grants at the earliest possible time and waiting for recoupment, which may not come from the Department until May, could cause a local authority to incur loan service charges of as much as £100,000?
I do not make any apology for trying to get more information before awarding grants. We will try to streamline the form and make it somewhat simpler in future. This year I made some changes because I was determined that no one would get a grant who did not deserve it and that justice would be seen to be done. We needed the extra information to get rid of a perception that grants were being given in some quarters when perhaps they should not.
(Carlow-Kilkenny): Did the Minister take any notice of my suggestion that applications for grants should be made in June when matters are quite? Qualification is based on the means of parents, not on leaving certificate results. The old excuse that one had to wait for the results does not apply. The number of changes to be made after June will be minimal. There is also a delay in dealing with appeals from county councils. When I objected to the delay, I was told there are only two people dealing with these appeals in the Department. If true, it is an absolute scandal. Can the Minister refute it?
I will try to bring forward the entire system next year. That is my plan. If we had gone ahead in June this year it would have been impossible for me subsequently to make the necessary improvements in the system. There was a good reason for the delay this year and we will try to get the work done earlier in future years.
(Carlow-Kilkenny): What about the appeals section?
I have not the figures.
(Carlow-Kilkenny): The Minister is not making a denial.
In relation to the terms of reference, especially as regards capital allowances for farmers, would the Minister revert to last year's terms of reference where allowances were made for borrowings for pollution control and farm building? This matter has given rise to much concern.
I had a meeting yesterday with the IFA on this and other issues pertaining to them and I undertook to consider the points they put in relation to this area.
Would the Minister accept that he has given this House only half the story regarding the delay in processing student grants? While part of the delay is certainly due to an increase in numbers because of changes in the means test limits, the delay is also due to the fact that for the first time ever ESF grants are being means tested which is causing delay at EC level. Local authorities have now to process two sets of higher education grants because the Minister has not extended the higher means test limits to existing students.
Equity is an important issue in education and it is equitable to means test all students at third level.
There are two different systems.
Why should it matter? Are regional technical colleges inferior to universities?
No, but there are two different systems.
That disposes of questions for today.
