THREE TDs - Paul Bradford (Fine Gael), Mairin Quill (Progressive Democrats) and Kathleen Lynch (Democratic Left) - faced the music over issues surrounding grants at the recent USI officers' training weekend in Cork.

It was unfortunate that there was not a representative from the Department of Education on this particular panel and that Fianna Fail education spokesman Micheal Martin was also absent. This meant that those most responsible for the current grants mess (the Department) and the spokesman from the largest political party in the land were not there to hear the views of the student leaders. They were, unsurprisingly, mostly negative - too little, too late was the essence of the argument.

The TDs all agreed it was terrible, but there was little that two backbenchers and an opposition deputy could do. As Kathleen Lynch pointed out: "I could say all these things to the Minister and she wouldn't pay the blindest bit of notice to me".

Lynch needn't feel lonely: it's difficult to see to whom the Minister pays the blindest bit of notice where grants are concerned.

Still, it wasn't easy to be sympathetic to every point the students made. True, the grant forms are a little complicated but, then, that's what third level is for. Anyway, wait until you try income tax self assessment forms...

Cork Co Council contacted Grantwatch to take issue with UCD students' union's claim last week that no county council had made any payments at that point.

Cork County Council made a payment of £166,958 to UCD at the end of August in respect of ongoing students and says all colleges have received some form of payment from the council, so a manly pat on the back goes out to the good burghers of the council.

In fact, Cork County Council appears to head this year's table of student friendly grant awarding bodies, at least as far as grant renewals are concerned.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown also made an initial payment towards the end of August, while approximately Is other local authorities (including Galway County Council and South Dublin) have also made payments by this point.

Limerick Corporation raised one of the bug bears of the grants system last week.

When contacted regarding possible dates of payment, it said it was waiting for letters of registration from the colleges before it could start sending out cheques. As of last week, only UCD and Maynooth had sent out lists of registered students and their students can expect payment this week or next week.

Other colleges, including UL, which the bulk of the corporation's clients attend, had yet to send out lists, although UL students only registered the week before last and some delay is inevitable as lists are sorted. Still, delays in receiving lists of students, particularly newly registered students, is a common complaint - from some local authorities. This, at least, is one area where students' unions can put pressure on their colleges to speed up the process.

One possible solution is provided by, once again, Cork Co Council. The council pays fees as soon as invoiced by the colleges, but it pays maintenance grants on the basis of examination results - so it doesn't have to wait for registration lists.

This year, with the co operation of UCC, it received all the examination results on computer disk and, as a consequence, was able to make payments earlier than in any previous year. If only there were more like them.