Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 January 2010
1065 Deputy Deirdre Clune asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of applications for education grants in 2009; the number of applications processed by 30 September 2009; the number processed by 31 December 2009; if he will provide this information in tabular form broken down by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1231/10]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy has been supplied to my Department by the local authorities and the Vocational Education Committees.
The table displays the number of new applications received as at the 8th January 2010, the number of new applications in respect of which processing had commenced as at the 27th November 2009 and as at the 8th January 2010, as the information was not available from the awarding bodies for the dates specified by the Deputy.
|
Local Authority |
New Applications Received 2009/10 as at 08/01/2010 |
New Applications where processing had commenced by 27/11/09 |
New Applications where processing had commenced by 08/01/2010 |
|
Carlow |
203 |
158 |
203 |
|
Cavan |
333 |
161 |
323 |
|
Clare |
612 |
388 |
612 |
|
Cork City |
563 |
362 |
563 |
|
Cork Co |
1,439 |
454 |
1,256 |
|
Donegal |
660 |
538 |
660 |
|
Dublin City |
1,994 |
1,000 |
1,444 |
|
Dun Laoghaire |
713 |
300 |
490 |
|
Fingal Co Co |
895 |
443 |
895 |
|
Dublin South Co Co |
699 |
502 |
623 |
|
Galway Co |
2,135 |
1,767 |
2,135 |
|
Kerry |
1,396 |
380 |
551 |
|
Kildare |
841 |
304 |
345 |
|
Kilkenny |
408 |
308 |
408 |
|
Laois |
376 |
233 |
376 |
|
Leitrim |
225 |
190 |
225 |
|
Limerick City |
259 |
196 |
246 |
|
Limerick Co |
543 |
480 |
543 |
|
Longford |
222 |
163 |
222 |
|
Louth |
429 |
143 |
429 |
|
Mayo |
966 |
363 |
520 |
|
Meath |
622 |
338 |
615 |
|
Monaghan |
276 |
233 |
276 |
|
Offaly |
253 |
201 |
224 |
|
Roscommon |
436 |
363 |
436 |
|
Sligo |
337 |
265 |
337 |
|
Tipperay NR |
286 |
204 |
286 |
|
Tipperary SR |
414 |
248 |
414 |
|
Waterford City |
192 |
121 |
192 |
|
Waterford Co |
511 |
348 |
426 |
|
Westmeath |
418 |
311 |
418 |
|
Wexford |
496 |
279 |
485 |
|
Wicklow |
673 |
373 |
673 |
|
Total |
20,825 |
12,251 |
17,851 |
|
VEC |
New Applications Received 2009/10 as at 08/01/2010 |
New Applications where processing had commenced by 27/11/09 |
New Applications where processing had commenced by 08/01/2010 |
|
Carlow |
551 |
447 |
551 |
|
Cavan |
853 |
690 |
853 |
|
Clare |
1,078 |
684 |
1,028 |
|
Cork City |
1,290 |
1,149 |
1,290 |
|
Cork Co |
2,494 |
539 |
916 |
|
Donegal |
2,024 |
731 |
2,024 |
|
Dublin City |
2,544 |
560 |
2,155 |
|
Dun Laoghaire |
417 |
363 |
417 |
|
Co Dublin |
2,595 |
176 |
477 |
|
Galway City |
720 |
619 |
720 |
|
Galway Co |
1,834 |
1,243 |
1,834 |
|
Kerry |
1,896 |
1,412 |
1,896 |
|
Kildare |
1,136 |
699 |
1,136 |
|
Kilkenny |
906 |
543 |
906 |
|
Laois |
628 |
532 |
628 |
|
Leitrim |
432 |
415 |
421 |
|
Limerick City |
600 |
584 |
600 |
|
Limerick Co |
953 |
664 |
953 |
|
Longford |
754 |
634 |
754 |
|
Louth |
1,071 |
967 |
1,071 |
|
Mayo |
1,725 |
843 |
1,066 |
|
Meath |
1,209 |
784 |
1,209 |
|
Monaghan |
799 |
612 |
789 |
|
Offaly |
615 |
494 |
615 |
|
Roscommon |
858 |
755 |
858 |
|
Sligo |
986 |
746 |
941 |
|
Tipperay NR |
1,098 |
777 |
1,096 |
|
Tipperary SR |
762 |
586 |
762 |
|
Waterford City |
608 |
429 |
466 |
|
Waterford Co |
503 |
411 |
495 |
|
Westmeath |
858 |
574 |
858 |
|
Wexford |
1,624 |
1,401 |
1,624 |
|
Wicklow |
1,155 |
634 |
920 |
|
Total |
37,576 |
22,697 |
32,329 |
1066 Deputy Deirdre Clune asked the Minister for Education and Science if consideration has been given to changing the existing educational grant application system so that applications can be made and the granting authorities can begin processing the claims earlier in the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1232/10]
View answerMy Department is actively engaged in a programme of administrative and legislative reform of student grants.
A business process re-engineering exercise is being conducted in respect of the administration of student grants. This exercise, being undertaken as part of the Government's Transforming Public Services initiative, will involve an analysis of the existing schemes, services, processes and procedures to identify the improvements that can be made. It is designed to effect an enhancement both of the quality of customer service and the efficiency and value for money of service delivery. Alongside this initiative, the Department is engaged in the development of a new, more user-friendly application form for student grants. As part of the overall programme of reform, it is planned to make application forms available a good deal earlier in the year so that students can submit grant applications following completion of the CAO process. It is also planned to introduce earlier closing dates so that the process of assessing grant applications can be brought forward significantly to enable early decisions on grant applications to be made by the awarding authorities.
