Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following:

“notes that:

— considerable savings of €90 million were required in the education budget for 2013;

— the Government’s commitment to fairness in education remains strong and considerable efforts were made to protect frontline education services through the protection of pupil-teacher ratios in free second-level schools and the 28:1 staffing schedule at primary-level, continued protection of overall numbers of Special Needs Assistants and resource teachers and the maintenance of overall staffing and funding for disadvantaged ‘Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools’ schools;

and

— in raising the pupil-teacher ratio for Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses to 19:1, the Government brought it to the same level as that which applies in all free second level schools;

recognises that:

— PLC courses are for adults who have completed formal second-level education and that the current pupil-teacher ratio of 17:1 is in fact more favourable than the pupil teacher ratio in typical free second-level schools;

and

— this budget measure will not impact on the overall number of approved PLC places available to the unemployed or to school leavers;

and

recognises the Government’s commitment and resolve, as outlined in Pathways to Work, to tackle the serious unemployment crisis by:

— continued investment in over 430,000 part-time and full-time places across the further and higher education and training sectors in 2013, all of which are open to unemployed people including young people and the long-term unemployed;

— the introduction of 16,500 new flexible re-skilling opportunities specifically for unemployed people in areas of emerging skills needs under the Springboard and Momentum initiatives, with a further 5,000 places planned for 2013;

— initiating the most significant reform of the further education and training sector in it’s history through the establishment of SOLAS – the new further education and training authority;

— embarking on a major programme of related education reforms, through the amalgamation of the three qualifications bodies, the planned abolition of FÁS and the amalgamation of the 33 Vocational Education Committees into 16 Education and Training Boards;

and

— commencing a major reform of the public employment service, through the creation of Intreo, which will help to ensure that unemployed people, in particular the long-term unemployed, can quickly access the most appropriate activation opportunity.”

I welcome the opportunity to address the House on this important issue and outline the considerable efforts this Government is making to ensure we have an education and training sector that is fit for purpose in the 21st century. The motion proposed to the House by Fianna Fáil raises the importance of the further education system to our education system. I agree that the provision of further education and training is of crucial importance, particularly at a time when unemployment and youth unemployment have never been higher. Few present tonight would disagree with these sentiments.

I want Ireland to be recognised as a fair, inclusive and equal society, supported by a productive and prosperous economy. Against the difficult economic circumstances in which we operate that is not an easy challenge, although members of Fianna Fáil seem to suggest otherwise. The challenge is one we can realise over time. This Government must prove to the people that we have credible answers for dealing with the crisis now, and also that we have a vision for the future, namely, that we can create more jobs, grow our economy, improve living standards for our people, and build a brighter future for our children. We have to show that our politics is about improving the lives of our people.

However, it is my view that the further education and training sector has been something of a Cinderella of the education system. Successive Ministers for Education and Skills have understandably been preoccupied with the primary, secondary or higher education systems and in consequence have often neglected the need to reform and innovate in the delivery of services within the extended further education sector. This Government has been determined not to plough that selfsame furrow. Both I, as Minister for Education and Skills, and my colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for training and skills, Deputy Ciaran Cannon, have worked to ensure reform of the further education system and bring about closer co-operation than ever before with the social protection system.

We are in no doubt that Ireland's unemployment crisis is similar to the dark days of the 1950s - a decade which eventually spurred a complete rethink of economic and social policy in this country. As then, we must now rethink how we engage with the unemployed. I draw the attention of the House to a comprehensive report published by the National Economic and Social Council in August 2011,Supports and Services for Unemployed Jobseekers. I believe it contains a good summary of the unemployment crisis we are facing. I shall quote in part from the report for the benefit of the House because it is very relevant:

Ireland's labour market will take years to recover from the massive contraction that has occurred in the economy. Males, young people, low skilled workers and nationals from the recent EU accession states have borne the brunt of the collapse m employment. Compared to previous recessions, more among the unemployed today have good levels of education, skills, and extensive work experience. The share of total unemployment that is long term is relentlessly rising. Significant groups do not appear on the Live Register, notably the "unemployed self-employed" and people who have exhausted their entitlement to Jobseeker's Benefit and whose spouses or partners continue to earn. These aspects require changes in approach if supports and services are to reach unemployed people and prevent them being scarred for the rest of their lives by their current unemployment.

I fully share the analysis expressed in this report and my actions to date have sought to respond to this crisis. My work is being carried out alongside the efforts of the Minister for Social Protection to reform the social welfare system into one that activates people to reskill and seek employment. Our changes should be guided by a long-term vision of what constitutes an effective unemployment regime in a knowledge-based economy. Changes must be imbued with greater empathy and less suspicion towards those who have lost their jobs or have the misfortune to be seeking a first one at the present time.

I will explain in greater detail the reform under way to ensure we future-proof the sector so that it can deliver 21st-century education and training programmes for 21st-century skills needs. First, we are abolishing FÁS. Without prejudice to the hard work and dedication of FÁS staff, it is a damaged brand and must be replaced. Second, we are transferring FÁS training provision to the new network of education and training boards, or ETBs. This new network of ETBs will be crucial to the success of the revitalised further education and training sector. As Members know, the 16 ETBs are replacing the existing 33 VECs. Third, we are establishing SOLAS - the new further education and training authority.

The unemployed, particularly the long-term jobless, have to be the priority group for support. However, a revitalised FET sector must be fit-for-purpose for all learners who wish to avail of programmes - the unemployed, job seekers, job changers, those in work, early school leavers who want to develop basic skills and those who want to pursue particular interests. The new further education and training authority, SOLAS, will be responsible for the strategic direction of a distinct but integrated further education and training sector. It will co-ordinate and collaborate with the ETBs in developing new, innovative programmes and will ensure a focus on priority groups, including the unemployed.

SOLAS will have many parallels with the role of the Higher Education Authority in higher education. It will drive the process of making the further education and training sector a distinct one, just like the higher education sector, and will help the new education and training boards play a key role in Ireland's economic recovery through the creation of a revitalised further education and training sector. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, chaired the SOLAS implementation group, which drafted an action plan for SOLAS. The plan sets out the roadmap by which we will achieve this ambitious programme of reform. Drafting of legislation, required for the formal establishment of SOLAS, is currently being finalised, with the intention of having a draft Bill for presentation to the Government, and subsequent publication before the end of this month. I will bring that Bill to the Government next Tuesday.

This major public service transformation fits with the Government's policy of reducing the number of agencies and is consistent with the strategic objectives of transforming the public service agenda through service delivery by a smaller number of agencies, each benefiting from efficiencies of greater scale.

Let me now turn to the recent education budget and the changes made within the further education sector. It is important to place this debate within the context of the wider education budget. The further education sector should not be seen in isolation from other parts of the sector. I reiterate that it is an important constituent element of a lifelong learning system that operates from cradle to grave. Numerous studies show that an individual's life chances are most influenced by educational intervention at the youngest age. Therefore, within our education system our first priority has to be educating our children so that they can get the best possible start in life. In order to ensure this as far as possible, front-line services for children have to be protected and this was at the heart of the Government's overall approach towards the education sector as part of budget 2013. Difficult choices had to be made. I will address one issue in particular - the pupil-teacher ratio for post leaving certificate courses. By raising the ratio for PLCs, which is only one element of the further education and training sector - a point I shall return to later - this Government managed to protect the pupil teacher ratio in free second level schools and the staffing schedule at primary level. We protected overall numbers of special needs assistants and resource teachers. We maintained overall staffing and funding for disadvantaged DEIS schools. Therefore, the Government has succeeded in protecting class sizes in primary and free second-level schools for the coming year, ensuring that ourlimited resources are rightly focused on the children in our education system. Although it would have been preferable not to have had to make any budget changes, it is worth noting that we will still spend close to €900 million on further education this year.

In making my decisions last December, I found it difficult to justify providing more generous pupil-teacher ratios in PLC colleges, which are largely geared towards adults, than in second level schools, which cater for teenagers. The overall number of approved PLC places will remain at last year's level of 32,688. While this decision may well reduce the subject choice available to students, I trust that the chief executive officers, CEOs, of VECs and principals in colleges of further education will protect the courses which deliver the best outcomes. In the coming months, those VECs will be reconfigured into education and training boards, ETBs. The latter will have a greater capacity to make the outcomes to which I refer easier to bring about.

The further education sector has expanded significantly in recent years. The additional 1,000 PLC places the Government allocated to providers as part of the jobs initiative is one example of that expansion. I cannot but recall the unhelpful criticism that emanated from the Opposition benches when the Government announced that initiative 18 months ago and yet there is now a motion before the House calling for investment in further education. The CEOs must work with principals, staff and unions between now and next September, when the change will take effect, in order to ensure that innovative, modern courses can continue to be offered to learners.

As already stated, PLC colleges are only one part of a vibrant and dynamic further education and training sector. Young people and adults, in particular those who are unemployed, will continue to be able to access a range of courses and programmes offered by VECs and FÁS, as well as institutes of technology and universities. In 2013, the Government will fund over 430,000 part-time and full-time places across the higher and further education and training sectors. All of these places will be open to the unemployed, including those who are long-term unemployed. This does not include investment by the Department of Social Protection in schemes which support jobseekers or those in receipt of the back to work enterprise allowance. Over 20,000 people are supported under these schemes. The provision in respect of the technical employment support grant for 2013 will be maintained and expanded.

The Government recognises that more than simply maintaining investment will be required. We are aware that the jobs of tomorrow will require that people possess an increasing levels of skills in a range of different areas. That is why we have developed and promoted innovative approaches to upskilling, through initiatives such as Springboard and Momentum, which was launched recently. Members will be interested to hear that Springboard has been in operation for some 18 months and already 10,000 people have benefited from innovative programmes delivered in institutes of technology on a flexible basis. Momentum is funded by the Department through the labour market education and training fund and will enable up to 6,500 people to benefit from a range of courses at different levels, all of which are specifically geared to enabling participants gain sustainable employment pretty much immediately. Crucially, Springboard and Momentum are targeted at the unemployed, in particular the long-term unemployed and the young unemployed, and are available completely free of charge to participants. Investment from the national training fund in these and other programmes aimed at the unemployed is almost €50 million annually. These are two high-profile initiatives but for those who possess lower levels of skills or who require more basic options, my Department continues to fund, through the VECs, adult literacy services and part-time further education programmes for literally hundreds and thousands of learners across the country. These programmes enable adults to engage with the education and training system and build skills and qualifications in order that they can enter or re-enter the labour market.

I should also address the issue of allowances for participants in further education and training programmes. Up to now, jobseekers who moved on to Youthreach, the vocational training opportunities scheme, VTOS, or FÁS courses could have their jobseeker payments brought up to a maximum of €188 per week. From now on, people under 25 years of age will receive a lower top up to €160 per week while those over 25 years of age will keep their existing payment, which will have been means tested by the Department of Social Protection. FÁS and VEC meal, travel and accommodation allowances remain the same and child care support, provided by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs through the child care education and training scheme, is also available. Essentially, the new arrangements provide for an element of continued top up for those under 25 years of age so that they will not be discouraged from returning to education or training. They will also enable those who are over 25 to retain their existing payments. These arrangements are mirrored in the back to education allowance scheme operated by the Department of Social Protection. This carefully considered approach will not exacerbate the difficulties we are currently experiencing in the context of youth unemployment.

As I have emphasised, the further education and training sector is but one element of the overall education sector. This Government has, unlike many before it, shown a sustained commitment to enabling adults reskill and upskill for the changing labour market. We will not give up and, despite the economic crisis, we will persevere. We will continue to invest in further education and training and we will maintain the number of places available to citizens. Most importantly, we are fundamentally reshaping the further education and training sector in order that it will be fit for purpose in the 21st century.

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