Mr. Phil Flaherty:

To answer Senator Jim D'Arcy's last question around the capital budget element, in the broadest sense the further education and training strategy recognises that a dedicated capital budget for the further education sector is required. Such provision has been somewhat ad hocup to now in that in terms of the overall capital allocation that was available for the Department, there would have been savings and a re-allocation to deal with particular capital needs as well as more larger planned capital developments in further education and training, and in the Cavan-Monaghan area quite a lot has been done. There is a need to systematise that to a much greater extent and ensure that colleagues in SOLAS have a proper engagement with that process and a full engagement on the capital side because the Department has given them the full current allocation around further education and training, except for some of the teacher pay elements for the PLC colleges. It is important we have a system in place that allows for the capital element to be included in terms of SOLAS and for that to be properly planned. We would agree on that.
On the Senator's question on the eligibility of works under the summer works scheme and the qualifying criteria for it, my colleagues in the schools division would be more well versed than I would be on that but I would be happy to respond to the Senator on that off-line if that is okay.
On Deputy Ó Ríordáin's point on the gender balance issue, in some respects, it is sad to say that our solution to gender balance in the area of apprenticeship is to broaden apprenticeships beyond the sectors in that we are not saying there are not roles for women in construction and engineering and such areas. In fairness to SOLAS and employers, efforts have been made in that direction even in the traditional sectors in ensuring that when bigger employers such as the ESB took women into apprenticeships that they would do so in twos and threes because it was perceived that it could be quite a difficult work environment and that it would be a more welcoming one if a few were taken on together. If we expand beyond the existing sectors, that should go some way towards addressing the gender issue. The point Dr. Peter Rigney made is also important. When we consider progression to third level and achievement in skills in literacy, numeracy and other areas, girls are outperforming boys fairly decisively. The area of apprenticeship has been a little bit of a counterweight against that and it is worth taking that into account in any discussion on the issue of general balance.