Mr. Michael Moriarty:

Deputy McConalogue mentioned a fear that this would be supply-driven and that courses or programmes would not be sufficiently demand-led. There is huge potential and an opportunity for education and training boards to have a statutory sub-committee which represents local employers as well as the local providers, which are the education and training board and training and programme staff. This would mean direct communication between employers, local industry and trainers. In this way there would be direct engagement in each of the 16 catchment areas between the training centres or further education colleges and employers. This would be very beneficial. In 1997 plans were drawn up to do this through an adult education sub-committee. It would be one way to address the issue, and would assure everybody that the courses would remain demand-led.

The issue of guidance is important. Education and Training Boards Ireland has repeatedly campaigned for proper guidance, particularly for the adult learning community. These people are vulnerable and marginalised. They may have lost a job, and perhaps their confidence, and are disoriented to a large extent. They need direct support and guidance at a very vulnerable period in their lives. This is why it is imperative to have a proper and effective guidance service, which we do not have at present as it has vastly reduced resources.

Deputy Ó Snodaigh mentioned resource issues, and perhaps he was speaking about training centres. Post leaving certificate colleges are managed in the same way as second level schools, which is a crazy system. They have never moved along from the structure and funding model of second level schools. In 2008, just before the crash, we had agreed with trade unions and the Department to have a new structure which would be relevant to post leaving certificate course colleges. These colleges are populated by adults and not by children. We need to re-examine the establishment of a relevant support structure in these colleges which meets the needs of their clients.

In the editorial I wrote for the most recent edition of ETBI news I raised the issue of working all year round. We now have under the same bodies - the ETBs - training centres, which are effectively open and providing training and support 52 weeks of the year, and post leaving certificate course colleges, which are open for considerably less time than this as they are closed for July, August and part of September. This needs to be addressed. We have had informal discussions with the Teachers' Union of Ireland on this, and the former president, who is now a Senator, has raised the issue with me. Teachers' unions are facing a dilemma in the sector. If we are all there for the benefit of our clients and students we must examine year-round provision which meets the needs of the people we serve. I seek engagement with teachers' unions, the Department of Education and Skills and SOLAS to see if we can move from what is a school year to year-round provision in our colleges, as we have in our training centres.