Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I am responding to this question on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State for Education and Skills, Deputy Ciarán Cannon. Following the Government decision to create SOLAS, an implementation Group was set up to establish it My colleague, Minister of State, Deputy Ciarán Cannon chairs this group, the membership of which includes representatives from the Department of Education and Skills, FÁS, the Irish Vocational Education Association, the Department of Social Protection, the Department of the Taoiseach and a representative of the private training sector. This is part of a wider reform programme that also includes the rationalisation of 33 VECS into 16 Education and Training Boards.

The heads of a Bill for the establishment of SOLAS have been approved by Government and were recently referred to the Office of the Attorney General for drafting purposes. The Bill will, inter alia, provide for the establishment of SOLAS and for the dissolution of FÁS. I expect to publish this legislation in the autumn session of this year. Pending completion of the legislative process, FÁS will continue to provide training programmes under the terms of its current mandate.

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