Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Before dealing with the first amendment to the Bill, I would like to make the committee aware there are a small number of matters on which I am considering amendments on Report Stage. With the permission of the Chairman and in the interests of ensuring fairness, and in respect for the committee, I will briefly outline these. The reason for doing so is that I cannot properly introduce them on Report Stage unless they have been referred to during Committee Stage.

In moving the Bill on Second Stage, I referred to the fact that the published general scheme of the Bill permitted education and training boards to jointly operate education facilities with bodies that are not education and training boards. It also contained an enabling provision allowing them to provide support services for other providers. While this was not included in the published Bill, I indicated that I intended to introduce the necessary amendment on Committee Stage. Unfortunately it has not been possible to finalise the draft of this provision in time for the committee's consideration of the Bill today. I remain committed, however, to the inclusion of this provision and intend to bring forward the necessary amendment on Report Stage to give effect to this policy.

In the published Bill, the Minister is enabled to request the Irish Vocational Education Association to give assistance to education and training boards for the effective implementation of a ministerial direction. I want to consider if the legislation should reflect the IVEA's current and potential future role both in its capacity to coordinate information and to provide support more generally within the sector. I may wish to return to this issue on Report Stage.

Finally, there is a small number of human resource matters, particularly for new chief executives, that are needed to future-proof the restructured sector and to ensure there is a degree of flexibility. My officials are exploring these points with the drafting office.

Turning to Deputy McConalogue's amendment, I am inclined to accept it. I will bring to Cabinet the draft of the legislation to deal with the dissolution of FÁS and those who had apprenticeships under FÁS. The speaking note I have states that the definition of education and training facility is deliberately broad as it is intended to cover any place other than a recognised school or centre for education which provides education, training or instruction. It does not need to be owned, or even run directly, by an education and training board. The key requirement is that the board maintains or resources it. I intend to cover the courses the Deputy refers to, and other courses. It is also intended to be broad enough to anticipate the changes to be brought about by the establishment of SOLAS, the new further education and training body to which I referred earlier.

My preference is to maintain the current wide definition without going into individual examples. If we were to start to set down an indicative list of what is to be included, doubts could creep in about courses not on the list. As I noted, Deputy McConalogue and I are not at odds on this matter. However, as FÁS is about to be abolished - the amendment refers to apprenticeships "formerly provided by FÁS" - I am open to considering this measure to provide for a degree of continuity that people other than lawyers would necessarily understand. I invite the Deputy to table the amendment on Report Stage and we will consider it again.