Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline the position on the allocation of PLC places in general and also in Cappamore.

By way of background, PLC places are allocated by SOLAS to the education and training boards, ETBs, and other schools as part of an annual service plan process. There are 32,688 approved PLC places nationwide. For each approved place, my Department provides a staffing allocation and non-pay capitation. The majority of these places are provided by ETBs in recognised ETB schools and stand-alone PLC colleges, but also in voluntary secondary and community and comprehensive schools, across the country.

SOLAS, the new further education and training authority, has been tasked with ensuring the provision of high-quality further education and training programmes that are responsive to the needs of all learners and the requirements of a changed and changing economy.

Last year SOLAS published its five-year strategy for the development of a unified further education and training sector. The strategy seeks to implement a new integrated FET planning model to ensure relevant learner-centred, flexible and employment-led provision with a clear focus on reducing duplication and overlap of provision. The process is to take account of Government priorities, for example, Pathways to Work, the Action Plan for Jobs and the Youth Guarantee.

SOLAS engages in an annual service plan process with ETBs which places a focus on the relevance and appropriateness of the provision proposed. It is expected that this will result in an improved level of provision that is responsive to the needs of learners and employers and ensure better value for money for our limited resources. Under the legislation providing for the establishment of ETBs, ETBs are independent autonomous entities with resources to deliver educational and training opportunities within their regions to the highest standard. Limerick and Clare ETB is a statutory body with responsibility for education and training provision in the Limerick and Clare area. The ETB has 1,418 approved PLC places and the allocation of these places to schools and colleges under its remit is a matter for the ETB.

A PLC programme with 83 PLC places operated in St Michael's College in Cappamore for a number of years. This school amalgamated with two other schools - St Fintan's Christian Brothers school and St Joseph's Mercy secondary school in Doon - in September 2013 and St Michael's College, Cappamore ceased to operate as a school. This resulted in the PLC places previously allocated by the ETB to St Michael's College being re-allocated to Limerick College of Further Education. The ETB continued to operate the PLC programme in the former school premises in Cappamore as an outreach of Limerick College of Further Education. The ETB recently reviewed the PLC provision in Cappamore and decided that because there was duplication of the courses on offer in both centres and it was proving difficult to operate with such small numbers, it would withdraw the PLC programme from Cappamore and provide it in Limerick College of Further Education. I understand that discussions continue on this locally. The ETB will continue to offer part-time courses in Cappamore and intends to develop a new suite of programmes for learners in this centre. I believe it intends to use the centre in Cappamore as an education and training centre for learners, offering programmes at levels 3 and 4 on the QQI framework, and that it is not just working closely with my Department and SOLAS but is also working closely with the Department of Social Protection to provide courses for unemployed people in the area.

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