Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 1: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason she has not progressed any of the recommendations of the McIver report on further education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40016/05]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 2: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a clear commitment will be given to the implementation of the McIver report; if so, when she intends to fund its implementation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39913/05]

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together.

This Government is strongly committed to improving participation and achievement at every level of education. We have put the resources and supports in place to ensure there is a wide range of course options available in the further and higher education sectors for young people who wish to continue their studies after second level and for people returning to education later in life.

Post-leaving certificate, or PLC, courses represent one such option. The Government's support for this hugely important sector is clear from the increase in the number of PLC places by 60% since 1996-97. The number of PLC places approved for 2005-06 is up by more than 1,600 on the 2004-05 level. The number of approved places in the sector now stands at 30,188.

Government support for the sector is evident not only in the expansion of approved places and teachers, but also in the introduction of maintenance grants for students with effect from September 1998. Tuition fees for PLC courses are waived. The PLC maintenance grant scheme operates on the same basis as in higher education. There are nearly 8,000 PLC grant holders in 2005 and they will receive some €23 million in direct support. Other developments funded by my Department of direct benefit to the PLC sector include the provision of national certification under the Further Education and Training Awards Council and the development of progression links with higher education in the institutes of technology. Government commitment to the sector, by reference to the resources applied in teachers' pay, non-pay running costs, student support and certification costs, is very significant.

The McIver report contains 21 over-arching recommendations, incorporating 91 sub-recommendations. Having regard to the number and scope of the recommendations in the report, extensive consultations have been held with management and staff interests on issues such as the prioritisation of recommendations, the structural changes envisaged in the report and their implications and associated costs in the context of the overall provision of resources for further and adult education. Active consideration is being given to all the issues involved. While this work is ongoing, extra investment has been provided in the 2006 Estimates to develop the PLC sector further and to improve supports for other aspects of further and adult education.

PLC students are included in the calculation of non-pay budgets issued to schools in respect of running costs. A supplemental non-pay grant towards running costs specifically for PLC schools is also payable. This will amount to €5.5 million in 2005. The 2006 Estimates include provision for the cost of the extra 100 teaching posts being provided for the post-leaving certificate courses in the current academic year. They also provide for an increase of 19% in the VTOS non-pay grant in 2006.

This Government has shown a sustained determination to expand and improve further and adult education over recent years. We believe strongly in the value of this sector and will continue to prioritise it for resources and supports in the years ahead.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I am surprised to hear the Minister of State saying she will continue to prioritise this issue, as it has not been prioritised to date. Is the Government committed to establishing further education colleges as a distinct sector of education? These are caught in a no-man's land at the moment, as they are neither second level nor third level, but in between. Will the implementation of the McIver report be negotiated at this time? I do not accept that negotiations are in place regarding the report. What is the timeframe for the implementation of the McIver report?

I remind the Minister of State that the report was commissioned by her Department. In effect, therefore, the recommendations in it were sought by the Department. Does the Minister agree the sector cannot go forward without the proper implementation of this report? We will probably get to the issue of funding later, and the Minister of State has mentioned extra numbers. My concern is with the structure of the further education sector. It is not just about numbers but about providing a proper, dedicated and distinct sector.

In terms of the PLCs, one of the principal recommendations in the McIver report is that the name PLC perhaps should not be used. Many students have not done their leaving certificate, so they are not post-leaving certificate students.

My concerns relate to the timeframe, implementation and whether the Department is committed to the further education colleges as a distinct sector.

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy has asked if the Government is really interested in the question of adult and further education, and the statistics I have already provided prove we have a distinct responsibility which we recognise. We are supportive of the area of adult and further education.

There are 21 over-arching recommendations in the McIver report and no less than 91 sub-recommendations. The cost of these recommendations would amount to €48 million. That is not a figure I have picked from my head, but was agreed not only by the Department of Education and Science but the IVEA and the TUI. This figure excludes any capital costs. When we seek that amount of money, we must consider what are the priorities in the recommendations. We have been in extensive consultation with the management and staff interests regarding the proposed structural changes. The proposals in the McIver report will bring about distinctive changes within adult and further education. We must consider the implementations and costings of these. The best way forward on this issue is through consultation on the prioritisation of these recommendations.

With regard to the implementation of the McIver report, there will be significant industrial relations and pay implications, and these are to the fore in the report. There will also be a potential impact of the reduction in teaching hours on other levels of the education system. We recognise that further and adult education is an important part of education as a whole, and the Government recognises the White Paper on lifelong learning. We are constantly pushing the importance of implementing lifelong learning with regard to policies within education. At the same time we must study the implications of the McIver report across the educational system.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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What is the timeframe?

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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When referring to the timeframe we must first refer to prioritisation which can be achieved only through consultation. I do not have €48 million to hand. We would love to be in a position to say we would implement it straight away but we are being realistic and honest in saying that we need to prioritise to ensure——

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State has not even started to do that.

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Extensive consultation has been taking place. This will involve radical changes in respect of management and staff interests. These decisions cannot be taken by the Department of Education and Science alone. There are significant industrial relations issues to be discussed in the context of further and adult education.

We must consider the cost implications of the development of separate capital specifications for the PLC sector. The opportunity for further capital investment arises when we discuss further and adult education. The €48 million, however, excludes that capital investment which puts the issue in context. As resources become available we must prioritise the issues that can be achieved only through significant consultation with the sector involved.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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I did not hear the Minister of State give a commitment to implement the McIver report so I will repeat Deputy Enright's question. Is the Government committed to implementing the McIver report?

I am concerned at the sweep of the Minister of State's answer which draws in other aspects of adult education. We want to see a distinctive, separate further education sector, that would be properly funded, as indicated in the McIver report, and properly structured.

Is the Minister of State aware, for example, that these colleges do not have adequate funding for technical support, librarians, canteens and the facilities regularly available to other post leaving certificate third level students? St. John's Central College in Cork, which has more than 1,000 students, has no librarian. Instead, it has a part-time information officer. An equivalent institute of technology has 11 librarians and library technicians. In my city, Limerick, the PLC college has 300 computers and no technician. Does the Minister of State understand the pressure in the PLC and further education colleges?

Compared with investment in the higher education sector in this year's budget, €48 million is a small sum. The people to whom we have spoken in the past week or two are willing to consult but they want a commitment to implementation. There will be no bother in the consultation with regard to implementation but can the Minister of State give us the commitment that there will be a timeframe and the McIver report will be implemented over a specific period?

While I am aware the Minister of State does not have a funding net for this year, under the student support services fund she would have some facility to begin to implement the report by providing extra funding for the services I have mentioned.

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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We would like to be in a position to implement the recommendations of the report. We must prioritise them because I do not have the €48 million to hand. When discussing further and adult education it is important to consider the scope of education in that sector. I do not accept the Deputy's comment that I gave a sweeping answer on this matter. In addition to considering the PLC sector which is a very important element but is only one aspect of adult and further education——

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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I am not asking about the other elements.

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I am responsible for the whole issue of further and adult education. I am concerned with the PLCs where there have been significant increases, even in the creation of 100 posts for that sector. I am also responsible however for the adult literacy group, VTOS, youthreach, senior Traveller training, the back to education initiative. To take one figure alone, more than 33,873 people avail of adult literacy courses. The PLC is the next largest group comprising 30,188 students. I must attend not only to those large groupings but to VTOS, Youthreach and senior Traveller groups which have specific needs in respect of disadvantage.

The McIver report was prompted by the pressures on the PLC sector especially where the numbers attending the centres exceed 150. I understand those issues, particularly because that area is growing significantly as we try to encourage further training and education. It is amazing to see the scale of that growth. That is why in my initial reply I detailed the major improvements made in the PLC sector. It is not sufficient, however to consider it in isolation from other elements of adult and further education. I am responsible for other elements too.