Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Kinsale College of Further Education is managed by County Cork VEC to provide courses under my Department's post-leaving certificate programme. The PLC programme is a self-contained whole-time learning experience designed to provide successful participants with specific vocational skills to enhance their prospects of securing lasting, full-time employment or to progress to other studies. It caters for those who have completed senior cycle education and require further vocational education and training as well as adults who may not have completed the senior cycle but who are returning to education and who have skills and competencies which enable them to undertake the courses. There are almost 31,700 approved PLC places nationwide enabling almost 38,700 learners to participate in PLC courses. For each approved place, my Department provides a staffing allocation and non-pay capitation. The majority of these places are provided by VECs, in recognised VEC schools and stand-alone PLC colleges, but also in voluntary secondary schools and community and comprehensive schools, across the country. There are almost 200 approved PLC centres nationwide. Places are allocated to VECs and other providers on an annual basis following an application process and VECs are responsible for the further allocation of those places to schools and colleges under their aegis.

Separately, following an annual application process my Department approves PLC courses to be delivered. PLC courses are generally of one or two years' duration and are at levels 5 and 6 on the national framework of qualifications.

On the specific matter raised by the Deputy, Kinsale Community School was established in 1997 following the merger of the vocational school managed by County Cork VEC and a convent school operated by the Presentation Sisters. The VEC decided to use the premises of the former vocational school for the delivery of PLC courses. The VEC manages the delivery of PLC provision in Kinsale College through St. Brogan's College in Bandon. PLC learners undertake PLC courses in Kinsale College of Further Education but for the purposes of allocating staff and non-pay capitation, the learners are included in St. Brogan's College returns by the VEC to the Department.

County Cork VEC has sanction for 1,334 approved PLC places and has advised the Department that it has allocated 215 of these places to Kinsale College of Further Education, through Saint Brogan's College. Enrolment data for the 2010-2011 academic year provided by schools to the Department, indicates that total PLC enrolment in County Cork VEC is 1,611 and that a total of 277 PLC learners enrolled in St. Brogan's College, which includes those enrolled in Kinsale College of Further Education. Our records indicate that the VEC offers one PLC course in St. Brogan's College. On recognition as a stand alone institution, generally, to qualify for consideration, an approved allocation of at least 500 approved PLC places is required. Furthermore, sanction as a stand alone PLC college would require additional financial and staffing resources in terms of teacher allocations and management structure, including principal and other posts of responsibility. In the context of the current budgetary situation, the moratorium on public sector recruitment and the employment control framework, it would be very difficult to provide these resources.

As indicated on 22 March 2011 in a response to Question No. 103, this issue is currently the subject of correspondence between the acting chief executive officer of County Cork VEC and officials of my Department.

The latest position is that my Department has sought a submission from the VEC setting out the benefits of stand alone status and how this might be achieved on a cost neutral basis. A reply is still outstanding and when it is received, my Department will consider it further. I again thank the Deputy for raising this matter.

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