Hanafin aims to set up single body to pay student grants promptly

A GRANT scheme under which college students would no longer have to wait months for payment will be in operation from next year, Education Minister Mary Hanafin has said.

At present, the 56,000 recipients of €209 million in student support grants must apply to their local council or Vocational Educational Committee (VEC), depending on the college or course they attend.

Ms Hanafin told the Dáil she is aware that some councils and VECs are much better than others in the timing of payments but that students have been left waiting even beyond Christmas for the initial grant. She hopes to have a grant scheme run by a single body operating for the academic year 2006/2007. Discussions are ongoing between her department and organisations representing local authority managers and VECs.