Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 553: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if at least €50 million will be made available to implement the recommendations of the McIver report regarding the PLC sector, none of which has been implemented to date in 2005 since the report's publication in April 2003. [34005/05]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 561: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when her Department intends to start the implementation of the McIver report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34133/05]

Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Question 584: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if funding will be made available in 2006 to commence the implementation of the recommendations contained in the McIver report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34313/05]

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 602: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will implement the recommendations of the McIver report; the number of recommendations that she will initially prioritise for implementation; the funding to be allocated towards the implementation of the report in 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34393/05]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 604: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will implement the recommendations of the McIver report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34448/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 553, 561, 584, 602 and 604 together.

The McIver report on the PLC sector contains 21 overarching recommendations, incorporating over 90 sub-recommendations. The principal recommendations include: a reduction in the number of timetabled class teaching hours and appropriate increases in staff to compensate; enhancement of senior and middle management structures to allow more time for assessment, student support and interaction, team development and cross-curricular planning, industry liaison and quality-assurance processes; an increase in technical and administrative support staff; improvements in student library, IT and social facilities and capital infrastructure; and new programme support services.

Having regard to the number and scope of the recommendations in the report, extensive consultations have been held with management and staff interests regarding such issues as the prioritisation of recommendations, the structural changes envisaged in the report, their implications and associated costs in the context of the overall provision of resources for further and adult education. Those consultations are continuing.