Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)

With the permission of the House, I am sharing time with Deputy Catherine Murphy.

The group we met from SR Technics became unemployed through no fault of their own. They received the statutory redundancy payment, not massive payments. They were encouraged to avail of further education courses and a seminar was organised in the ALSAA fitness club at Dublin Airport with the various colleges to look at available options. Some provision was made for the workers by FÁS, the city and county enterprise boards, the VEC and third level colleges and institutions in support of the more than 1,000 workers made redundant in 2009.

A group of 55 workers opted for a tailor-made course in All Hallows College, 30 of whom are finishing year 2 of the course, while the remainder are in year 1. The funding, provided through the European Globalisation Fund, EGF, runs out shortly. Why were they allowed by the Government to commence a degree course if it knew funding would not be available for the full duration of the course? The course is of four years duration, approved by the Department of Education and Skills and accredited by Dublin City University. It is not practical to ask the men finishing year 2 to transfer to another course and begin again. The men concerned could have applied to other colleges by the CAO mature student route, but they opted for this course which was tailor-made for their needs.

There must be a way around this problem. Could it be done through the Minister, Deputy Ruairí Quinn negotiating with All Hallows College or through the Springboard initiative, as announced by the Minister, or could the remainder of the course be covered under the free fees scheme? Allowing this would hardly set a precedent as the fund will no longer be available to other workers made redundant. All Hallows College is on the CAO list and part of the free fees system. I do not see, therefore, why it is being considered a private college. As a former guidance councillor, I never considered it as a private college. The private colleges included the likes of Portobello College and Griffith College.

I ask that a way be found for those currently on the course to be allowed to finish it. As the State was prepared to fund other full-time courses at third level for the former SR Technics workers, why cannot the same be done for these men who had a legitimate expectation that funding would be available to allow them to complete the course.

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