Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

I am surprised to hear the Minister of State saying she will continue to prioritise this issue, as it has not been prioritised to date. Is the Government committed to establishing further education colleges as a distinct sector of education? These are caught in a no-man's land at the moment, as they are neither second level nor third level, but in between. Will the implementation of the McIver report be negotiated at this time? I do not accept that negotiations are in place regarding the report. What is the timeframe for the implementation of the McIver report?

I remind the Minister of State that the report was commissioned by her Department. In effect, therefore, the recommendations in it were sought by the Department. Does the Minister agree the sector cannot go forward without the proper implementation of this report? We will probably get to the issue of funding later, and the Minister of State has mentioned extra numbers. My concern is with the structure of the further education sector. It is not just about numbers but about providing a proper, dedicated and distinct sector.

In terms of the PLCs, one of the principal recommendations in the McIver report is that the name PLC perhaps should not be used. Many students have not done their leaving certificate, so they are not post-leaving certificate students.

My concerns relate to the timeframe, implementation and whether the Department is committed to the further education colleges as a distinct sector.

See this speech in context