Call for changes to grants system

THE student grants system is still creaking with delays because the Government has failed to hand its operation over to just one agency, it was claimed yesterday.

The 60,000 grant applications submitted this year are again being handled by local councils and Vocational Education Committees (VECs).

Under the Student Support Bill, now due for publication before Christmas by Education Minister Mary Hanafin, the VECs would take responsibility for all of them and have tight deadlines for processing applications. The planned legislation was announced insummer 2006 and had been expected to be ready for implementation this year.