Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 447: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a cap on the number of students to colleges of education to train as primary teachers will be introduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27807/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The level of student intake to the colleges of education is determined annually by my Department taking account of the supply of and demand for primary teachers and also having regard to available resources. The demand for primary teachers is influenced by a number of factors including: the application of the agreed staffing schedule; demographic trends; the number of teachers opting to take career breaks; the number of secondments approved; and the age at which teachers opt to retire on a voluntary basis. The creation of additional posts in a particular school year and the retention of posts arising from the allocation of the demographic dividend also affect the demand for teachers.

It is considered necessary for my Department to regulate the intake to the colleges as they are fully funded by the taxpayer. In that context my Department has capped the number of entrants to the colleges of education through the bachelor of education degree programme at 1,000 and the post-graduate programme at 280 for the 2005-06 academic year. My Department does not have authority to regulate the intake of students to private institutions.