Student Grant IT System May Not Be Ready Until 2029; €6.4 Million Spent

A new IT system for State education grants, initiated in 2015, may not be operational until 2029. The Dáil Committee of Public Accounts was informed that an initial project, established in 2015 to upgrade grant application software, was terminated in 2021. Secretary General Colm O’Reardon stated that €3.8 million was spent on this initial project, with €1.15 million having «no enduring value».

A new project is now underway, aiming to develop a modern grant application system. Department assistant secretary Keith Moynes confirmed that cumulatively, about €6.4 million has been spent across both projects to date. Approximately 115,000 people apply for student grants annually. Fianna Fáil TD Séamus McGrath called the 14-year development timeline «staggering».

Separately, Skillnet Ireland, which receives about €50 million annually from the Department of Further and Higher Education, has begun investigations into a contracting authority. This follows allegations received in 2023 under a protected disclosure. Skillnet Ireland CEO Mark Jordan stated that the organization in question, which promotes multiple Skillnet networks, received about €2.4 million over several years.

Jordan explained that issues identified before the disclosure included market demand and performance, where expenditure was not occurring, and concerns regarding management capability and overall governance. Skillnet began identifying problems around April or May 2023, intensifying engagement and suspending some grants before the protected disclosure was received. Additionally, the Department of Education reported spending about €1.3 billion on modular school buildings between 2021 and 2025.