Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 8, 26 and 60 together.

The Government believes strongly in the value of this sector and will continue to prioritise it for resources and supports in the years ahead. Improving participation and achievement at every level of education is a key priority. We have put the resources and supports in place to ensure a wide range of course options is available in the further and higher education sectors for young people who wish to continue their studies after second level and people returning to education later in life.

The principal objectives of the measures and programmes funded by my Department in adult and further education are to meet the needs of young early school leavers and provide second chance education for adults and vocational education and training for labour market entrants and re-entrants. To ensure these objectives become a reality, a range of provisions is available in further education. This includes such full-time programmes as Youthreach, senior Traveller training centres, the vocational training opportunities scheme, post-leaving certificate courses and part-time initiatives such as the back to education initiative and the adult literacy and community education schemes. These programmes are funded by my Department and operated and managed primarily by the vocational education committees.

Further education is expanding. For example, in the literacy sector the adult literacy client numbers have increased from 5,000 in 1997 to almost 34,000 in 2005. Post-leaving certificate courses represent another option available within the further education suite. Government support for this important sector is clear from the fact that we have increased the number of PLC places by 60% since 1996-97. The number of PLC places approved for 2005-06 has increased by more than 1,600 on the 2004-05 level. The number of approved places in the sector now stands at 30,188.

Government support for the sector is evident not only in the expansion of approved places and teachers but also in the introduction of maintenance grants for students with effect from September 1998. Tuition fees for PLC courses are waived and the PLC maintenance grant scheme operates on the same basis as in higher education.

The 2006 Estimates include provision for the cost of the extra 100 teaching posts being provided for the post-leaving certificate courses in the current academic year. They also provide for an increase of 19% in the VTOS non-pay grant in 2006. PLC students are included in the calculation of non-pay budgets issued to schools in respect of running costs. A supplemental non-pay grant towards running costs specifically for PLC schools is also payable. This will amount to €5.5 million in 2005.

Other developments funded by my Department of direct benefit to the PLC sector include the provision of national certification under the Further Education and Training Awards Council and the development of progression links with higher education in the institutes of technology.

The McIver report contains 21 over-arching recommendations, incorporating 91 sub-recommendations. Having regard to the number and scope of the recommendations in the report, extensive consultations have been held with management and staff interests with regard to such issues as the prioritisation of recommendations, structural changes envisaged in the report, their implications and associated costs in the context of the overall provision of resources for further and adult education. Active consideration is being given to all the issues involved. While this work is ongoing, extra investment has been provided in the 2006 Estimates to develop the PLC sector further and improve supports for other aspects of further and adult education.

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