Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 152: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a detailed breakdown of costs involved in training a second level teacher, including primary degree and postgraduate diploma in education or four-year concurrent degree in education (Bachelor in Education). [19535/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Higher Education Authority manages and disburses recurrent funds to the universities, institutes of technology and other designated colleges. These recurrent funds include core recurrent grants, grants in respect of the "Free Fees" Scheme, funding in respect of increased student intake, supplementary funding requirements, and other miscellaneous initiatives that may require funding.

The majority of post-primary teachers qualify through the institute of technology/university route, by completion of a suitable undergraduate degree, and the Postgraduate Diploma in Education. Undergraduate degrees for this purpose are generally of 3 or 4 years duration. The cost of providing undergraduate degrees varies from programme to programme. However, I am advised by the HEA that the approximate annual cost of providing a Bachelor of Arts degree would be in the region of €7,000 per student. Concurrent Bachelor of Education courses are generally of 4 years duration. The approximate annual cost of providing the B.Ed. is in the region of €9,000-€10,000 per student.

Costs for both primary degrees and concurrent degrees are met through the student fee (paid through the Free Fees scheme), core grant funding and the student contribution. The cost of providing a 1 year postgraduate diploma in education for post-primary teaching is estimated to be in the region of €8,000. This is met through a combination of student fees and recurrent funding from the HEA.