Launch of pilot online grant applications project

IVEA General Secretary, Mr Michael Moriarty, today commended the work undertaken in the development of a pilot project undertaken by the Department of Education and operationally led by City of Dublin VEC to facilitate online applications for student support schemes.

This project represents one of the key priorities that IVEA and the vocational sector had sought to actively advance with the Department since the vocational sector commenced a round of discussions back in 2006. It represents a key milestone for both the awarding authorities and the applicant in that new applicants involved in the pilot will be able to fill in the form on line and the data will feed into a back-end database in the relevant VEC for processing. The facility has built-in intelligences which for example enable certain applicants not to have to fill in certain sections of the application which don’t apply to them – thus cutting down on the applicant’s necessity to go through fields that would not be relevant to him/her.  It has benefits also for the awarding authority in terms of its not having to data entry from written applications – thus saving on time and improving efficiencies in the application and awarding process.

Mr Moriarty paid particular tribute to the Tánaiste, officials in the Department of Education and Skills, City of Dublin VEC and those VECs who have actively co-operated to bring the project through development, testing and delivery. He commented that: 'this pilot initiative coupled with the introduction of the new application form and information notes; the early release of application forms and schemes will inevitably assist grant applicants, their parents and awarding authorities.'

'The anticipated move over the coming year/two years to refining all student support schemes into a unified scheme will further assist in enabling efficiencies for applicants, awardees and awarding authorities.'

'Recognising the constraints arising from the moratorium coupled with union directives, IVEA acknowledges the work undertaken by all staff in VECs concerned to the processing and management of grants and payments and looks forward to continuing its work with the Department in the months ahead and again encourages grant applicants to apply early and gather all supporting documentation necessary to their application as a matter of priority.'