Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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With the permission of the House, I am sharing time with Deputy Catherine Murphy.

The group we met from SR Technics became unemployed through no fault of their own. They received the statutory redundancy payment, not massive payments. They were encouraged to avail of further education courses and a seminar was organised in the ALSAA fitness club at Dublin Airport with the various colleges to look at available options. Some provision was made for the workers by FÁS, the city and county enterprise boards, the VEC and third level colleges and institutions in support of the more than 1,000 workers made redundant in 2009.

A group of 55 workers opted for a tailor-made course in All Hallows College, 30 of whom are finishing year 2 of the course, while the remainder are in year 1. The funding, provided through the European Globalisation Fund, EGF, runs out shortly. Why were they allowed by the Government to commence a degree course if it knew funding would not be available for the full duration of the course? The course is of four years duration, approved by the Department of Education and Skills and accredited by Dublin City University. It is not practical to ask the men finishing year 2 to transfer to another course and begin again. The men concerned could have applied to other colleges by the CAO mature student route, but they opted for this course which was tailor-made for their needs.

There must be a way around this problem. Could it be done through the Minister, Deputy Ruairí Quinn negotiating with All Hallows College or through the Springboard initiative, as announced by the Minister, or could the remainder of the course be covered under the free fees scheme? Allowing this would hardly set a precedent as the fund will no longer be available to other workers made redundant. All Hallows College is on the CAO list and part of the free fees system. I do not see, therefore, why it is being considered a private college. As a former guidance councillor, I never considered it as a private college. The private colleges included the likes of Portobello College and Griffith College.

I ask that a way be found for those currently on the course to be allowed to finish it. As the State was prepared to fund other full-time courses at third level for the former SR Technics workers, why cannot the same be done for these men who had a legitimate expectation that funding would be available to allow them to complete the course.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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The workers received statutory redundance payments; there was no big pay-out. As such, they are not in a position to pay college fees at this stage. The investment they have made in time and energy was matched by funding from the EGF. That financial investment should have seen accreditation at the end of the course, to which they are entitled. I spoke to one of the workers yesterday and he told me the education element of his CV consisted of a group certificate awarded in the 1970s. A BA degree would have given him the hope he would not end up long-term unemployed but skilled and able to commence his own business or build a new career.

The workers were of the opinion that EGF funding would commence from the date it was approved by the European Union and run for two years from that date, September 2010. They were not aware that the commencement date was the date of the initial application in October 2009, which was rejected. An administrative process was also to have been initiated. This has not occurred to date and it seems pointless to initiate such a process at this stage. I wonder if the scheme is entirely in compliance with EGF programme requirements, given that the administrative process was not initiated and the fund is nearly exhausted.

The students are too far into the degree course to change, as suggested in the letter from the Department of Education and Skills. Changing at this stage would mean beginning year 1 elsewhere. If the students did what was suggested, they might well be supported under the CAO system for four years, which would be much more expensive. Many of the workers are in their 40s and early 50s. They make the point that this was a really good course that they embraced with enthusiasm. The fact that they are a group of mature students from the same background has been a positive for them. Many have been doing the course for a full 12 months in order to complete it as soon as possible. They are keen to get back to making a contribution and take advantage of their new skills, but it is now doubtful if they will be able to complete the course. They are asking to be allowed to do this. There are many half-baked schemes and courses with no result at the end of them, but there is massive potential for these 55 workers. All that they ask is that they be allowed to complete the course.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I thank both Deputies for raising this matter.

The requirements in applying for and implementing approved applications for EGF co-financed programmes are prescribed by EU law. EGF supported programmes are of finite duration. Currently, they are required to be completed no later than 24 months from the date of submission of the relevant EGF application. The binding timeframes are specified in the relevant European Commission decision addressed to the member state in approving its application. Under the terms of the European Commission decision relating to the EGF application in support of redundant SR Technics workers, EGF co-funding can be used for measures delivered from the commencement of service provision on 25 March 2009 until 9 October 2011 at the latest. When the Irish authorities raised the issue of the extension of the current EGF implementation period, this position was reconfirmed by the Commission.

It was always made clear to the redundant SR Technics workers, including at a number of EGF specific public meetings to showcase the funded supports, and the various service providers that only supports provided within that timeframe would be funded. That the Department made the expiry date of 9 October 2011 clearly known in advance was acknowledged by a delegation of the former SR Technics workers attending the course at All Hallows College when they met departmental officials last month on this matter. Moreover, All Hallows College was informed in writing by the Higher Education Authority of the expiry date for EGF funding of their course of 9 October 2011 at the latest. In turn, the college has submitted a number of claim forms to the authority for funding under the EGF, clearly indicating that the completion date of the course in question is 30 September 2011. It is, therefore, not clear how students could have begun this course at the college earlier this year in the expectation that the EGF would co-finance study beyond 9 October 2011.

It should be noted that All Hallows College has been extremely helpful in running what was originally a part-time course on a full-time basis under the EGF programme. This was done in order to accelerate students' progress on a modular basis and maximise the scope for them to benefit from the EU funding available.

In addition to a number of past meetings, briefings and communications with members of the delegation of former workers studying at All Hallows College over the course of EGF programme, officials from my Department met the delegation last month. They discussed in detail both the position on EGF funding and the full range of options and supports available to students generally who wish to pursue education programmes in the publicly funded higher education system. I have also recently written to an individual member of the delegation re-emphasising the position as outlined.

The Department of Social Protection has confirmed that if the students remain on the programme on a full-time basis beyond the EGF cut-off date, they will be entitled to retain their back to education allowance. This would be a considerable advantage to the students providing income support while progressing their education.

An option open to the students would be to engage with All Hallows College to seek a reduced course fee for continuation of the course full-time but at their own expense. Alternatively, the relevant students could apply to participate in other full-time courses in the public system that are part of the free fees scheme without losing their back to education allowance. These are matters of individual choice for the relevant students, not for the Department.

In terms of supports being offered outside the EGF programme, the particular education course in question is not part of the Department's free fees scheme which funds full-time higher education course fees for first-time students progressing on the National Framework of Qualifications. All Hallows College, a privately funded institution, had applied to the Department for access to the free fees scheme for this programme in 2010. However, the application was turned down having regard to the fact that the programme was not generally available through the CAO and because of the overall constraints on funding. Further, in line with the recommendations of the new strategy for higher education, the policy of the Department is to provide for no further extension of free fees funding to specific courses in private institutions such as All Hallows College. Additional funding is not available elsewhere in the Department's Vote to fund this course for this cohort of students. To do so outside normal requirements and rules would set an unsustainable precedent in terms of other EGF programmes and in terms of access to education programmes generally. I again thank the Deputies for raising this matter.