Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

-----because of the way the courses are designed, as some of the 500 people whose jobs will be lost will not be in a position to provide the modules for courses that are currently necessary. This is the big danger. We have heard much, particularly from the Labour Party, about discrimination. This is discrimination. This time last year we were talking about the attack by the Labour Party on DEIS schools which it had to reverse and, now it is going after the PLC and further education sector, many of which are located in the same areas. It is a sector that I often wish, when I see the courses on offer, was available in my time. The courses it offers throughout the country are different and are responsive. It is a sector that is unbelievably flexible. In the education sector, which everybody admits is usually completely inflexible, the PLC sector has been able to get approval and provide courses in the shortest timeframe in response to the demands of employers. That is the reason it provides courses in information technology such as cloud computing and ethical hacking. I too acknowledge the work done by the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, in CoderDojo, but there is no sense in training and inspiring a whole generation of teenagers about IT and their role in it if we cut off their access. If they do not wish to attend third level institutions or universities there are PLC courses that are perfect for them, but they are being withdrawn. This is not about putting two extra bodies in the classroom but about the undermining of an entire sector which has shown itself to be innovative and responsive and, in many of its courses, quite exciting.

See this speech in context