Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the chance to raise this very important issue. It involves East Limerick Centre for Further Education and Training in Cappamore in County Limerick, an area I represent as a Deputy. The Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board recently informed the college that it is seeking to cease offering 83 post-leaving certificate, PLC, places for students for the next academic year. The people of Cappamore feel very strongly about this. I want to ensure the cessation does not take place. Cappamore had a secondary school up to 2013 and thereafter it evolved into a third level institution, a college of further education, East Limerick Centre for Further Education and Training. Eighty three places were allocated under a rural remit for Cappamore and east Limerick. That is the key element to this. The places were allocated to ensure students who have completed their leaving certificate and who are living in rural east Limerick and surrounding areas, such as Moroe, Caherconlish, Cappamore itself, Bilboa and Pallas Grean, could attend college in a rural setting. We now find it has been proposed that the 83 PLC places will be transferred to Mulgrave Street in the city. The Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board does fantastic work both in the city and county but it is extremely important to recognise the vital nature of the 83 places for students in a rural setting.

I met the CEO of Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board, Mr. George O'Callaghan, recently. He committed to carrying out a review of the decision, which I very much welcome. Furthermore, he stated the board is committed to the future of the college in Cappamore in terms of driving it forward.

I ask that the 83 places be retained. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, to confirm that the review is now under way. It should be an independent review, which is what the people of Cappamore and the surrounding areas want. We recently had a meeting with community leaders from Cappamore, led by Cappamore Development Association, and Mr. O'Callaghan to discuss this matter. Mr. O'Callaghan reiterated that a review of the places would be carried out and that they would be retained.

I want to see in the first instance a commitment to retain the 83 places and, second, a drive to create further courses on the campus of 3.5 acres. The college has a capacity of up to 210 students, which is well in excess of the 83 threatened PLC places. There are extra courses also. There is a blacksmith course, which is unique in Ireland and which operates under a City & Guilds programme, and there is a horticulture course. The key reason I am raising this issue in the Dáil this afternoon is the vital importance of the courses to Cappamore. Many of the students may not be able to travel to a city setting to avail of education. I would not like to see anybody unable to avail of PLCs and further education in the area in which he or she lives. That is the number-one criterion. It is a matter of rural rejuvenation. The college is in the heart of rural east Limerick and the 83 places need to be preserved. We need to enhance further what the college is providing. It has enormous capacity. There are 210 available places and the college is on a 3.5 acre site.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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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.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for State for taking this debate. I have also raised the matter with the Minister for Education and Skills. I have a number of points to make. The 83 PLC places were allocated within a rural remit, not an urban remit. I know that if these 83 PLC places are transferred to a city setting, many students will not be able to avail of PLC places and may not be able to go on to further education. That is something we cannot allow to happen. The role of an ETB should be inclusive, encompassing both urban and rural. ETBs do fantastic work in the city and county. I want to speak specifically about the college of further education in Cappamore. These places were allocated under a specific rural remit. Cappamore was established as, effectively, a rural element of Limerick College of Further Education in Mulgrave Street.

The Minister of State spoke about offering programmes at levels 3 and 4 on the QQI framework. The PLC courses across a range of areas that are currently on offer in Cappamore are levels 5 and 6. Many of these students have gone on to the University of Limerick and Limerick Institute of Technology. This is something we want here. There is no reason why level 3 and 4 courses cannot be offered on the same campus that offers level 5 and 6 courses. It is something that needs to be maintained. I want a commitment from the Minister of State and the Minister that they will contact the ETB in Limerick and get an update about how the review process is going and stress that the 83 PLC places are allocated under a rural remit. I want a commitment that future plans will involve retaining the PLC level 5 and 6 courses, introducing level 3 and 4 courses and enhancing those courses. There is a state-of-the-art college in Cappamore with 210 places available on a three and a half acre site. It would be seen as an integrated model with a rising tide lifting all boats. The Minister of State might confirm that these matters will be followed up.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I can raise these issues with SOLAS and the ETB. We met with them recently and they are doing great work in the area referred to. It is about striking the right balance. As it is an independent autonomous entity, we cannot direct it in any way but it knows it has certain responsibilities. It works very closely with SOLAS on an annual basis in respect of the service plan and our overall strategy, which involves making sure that as many people as possible can avail of these courses. We recognise that PLC courses are a very important avenue into working with community bodies or enterprise. Most people who do a PLC course move on to further education or a job, so it is very successful. With that in mind, part of the SOLAS strategy is to commit to evaluating all further education provision this year, mainly the PLC programme. It is being looked at in a national context and we are also looking at barriers. The Deputy raised the issue of rural versus the city and access and whether there will be additional hardship in trying to attend courses in the city. That will be looked at. I will raise it with the ETB and SOLAS.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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It is a matter of striking the right balance.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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We need to get the balance right. The Deputy will appreciate that the ETB is an independent entity, but I will raise his concerns with them.