CALL TO CENTRALISE STUDENT GRANT PROCESSING TO GALWAY

Date Published: 26-Jun-2012

Galway would be best suited as a national base for the centralisation of third level student grant processing.

That's according to Oranmore Cllr Jim Cuddy who says the new online system, known as SUSI, will result in a deterioration of service.

The system went live this month [June] and will now centralise grant applications, which were previously processed by more than 60 separate local authorities, including Galway County Council.

It's set to save the exchequer 5 million euro a year.

Cllr Cuddy's view was supported by Cllr Mary Hoade who feared the shared services model could cause the same difficulties as are currently presented with medical card central processing.

Speaking to Galway Bay fm news, Cllr Cuddy says centralising the system will lose the human aspect and mean students have to deal with a "faceless bureaucrat in Dublin".