Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I will take the last part of Deputy Quinn's question on the 51,000 additional FÁS places first. These additional places are being provided by FÁS from within existing resources. In delivering these places FÁS will, in addition to its own delivery of courses, contract with other bodies for provision of relevant courses. It would be open to VECs and institutes of technology to bid for the provision of appropriate courses. All of these organisations are working together at national and local level to ensure both the education and the training sectors respond in an optimum way to the situation we are currently facing. FÁS and the Irish Vocational Education Association are liaising on the matter. I accept the Irish Vocational Education Association is making similar points to the Deputy.

I do not accept that I gave a standard reply but outlined that the Government attaches the greatest urgency to this situation because of the numbers being made unemployed. There is close co-operation now through Cabinet committees to upskill and retrain the unemployed. We are looking at creative and innovative ways to deal with that situation and I expect announcements will be made. I recognise the article referred to by the Deputy and we are examining areas where there is duplication and spare capacity in the further education sector.

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