Single agency may deal with grants

THE Government is considering a single agency to handle student grants and possibly other means-tested payments. The legislation planned to hand responsibility for all 60,000 third-level grants to Vocational Education Committees (VECs) has been stuck at Dáil committee stage since January 2009.

They are currently operated by the 33 city and county VECs and by 33 city and county councils, and almost 20,000 students expected to qualify for grants had still not been approved by mid-November.

Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe said the Government is examining a rationalisation of the grants and possibly other payment systems. But he was not clear whether a single agency is to be created that would handle the means-testing and payment of other grants.

"The Government is looking at that right across the board, and there's a sub committee of cabinet looking at the procurement and the delivery of services."

Mr O'Keeffe said he is determined to rationalise the student grants system from being administered by 66 different bodies. However, it is not expected that the work would be given to the Department of Social and Family Affairs, which student unions had previously suggested as being best equipped for the job.