Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

Excess numbers have been enrolled every year, but this is the first in which the cap has been enforced by the Minister of State. Why is that the case? Is she aware that the colleges are not receiving capitation grants for every student enrolled and that teacher allocations are less than they should be as a result of the cap? Colleges are losing out on the allocation of posts of responsibility. Will the Minister of State confirm or deny that the cap is downward rolling? That means a decline in any subsequent year will result in lower caps. In effect, all further education colleges have now received their maximum intake and cannot grow or expand.

I wish the Minister to note that further education colleges play a valuable role. They target students who, for a variety of reasons, may not be able to attend other third level institutions. They also offer a different type of course. How will new courses in further education be initiated and how will the sector react proactively and quickly to the needs of industry? Will colleges have to turn away students from this point on as numbers are capped?

Representatives of the further education sector have written to Department to ask either the Minister or the Minister of State to attend a meeting to discuss this matter over the coming weeks. Will the Minister of State confirm that the invitation will be accepted?

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