Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)

The White Paper on adult education, Learning for Life, published in July 2000, addressed second chance and further education, community education, workplace education, higher education, support services, co-operation with the North and structures.

Provision in second chance and further education continues to expand in size and flexibility and one of its key priorities is adult literacy. Expenditure on adult literacy increased from €1 million in 1997, to €10.6 million in 2000 and in 2006 to more than €23 million. Literacy students have increased from 17,000 in 2000, to approximately 34,000 in 2006. The National Development Plan 2000-2006 anticipated that 110,000 people would participate in the adult literacy programme. This target has been exceeded.

The back to education initiative introduced in 2002 provides learners with a part-time option aimed at providing flexible learning opportunities for adults and has 7,000 part-time places. Annual expenditure on this is of the order of €16 million.

Such full time programmes as Youthreach, the vocational training opportunities scheme, post-leaving certificate courses and senior Traveller training catered for the needs of approximately 40,000 learners in 2005.

Expenditure on community education has increased from €1.3 million in 2000 to €9 million in 2006. In addition, 10% of the back to education initiative budget is allocated to the community education strand and 36 community education facilitators employed by VECs support a wide range of community groups.

In higher education the non-adjacent or higher rate of maintenance grant is payable in the case of all mature students who qualify either as a dependant or as an independent mature student.

The provision of guidance services has increased from €700,000 in 2000 to €5 million in 2006. The 35 adult education guidance initiatives provide information, advice and guidance to learners or potential learners who wish to become involved in adult literacy, VTOS and community education.

In 2003, the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland launched the national framework of qualifications with its ten-level grid of level indicators. This framework enables learners to access, transfer and progress along the full education spectrum.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

The Further Education and Training Awards Council, FETAC, and Higher Education and Training Awards Council, HETAC, make awards to learners on a large range of programmes offered by many different providers. To ensure confidence in the awards a quality assurance system has been established.

There is continuing co-operation between officials North and South on aspects of common interest, for example adult literacy.

The White Paper provided for the establishment of a national adult learning council which was established as an ad hoc council in 2002. However, concerns emerged that the functions envisaged for the council were too wide-ranging and were not sufficiently focused. A review of the council has been undertaken and its findings are under consideration within the Department.

Much progress has been made in addressing the programme set out in the White Paper and the Government is committed to building further on this progress.

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