Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 397: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the details with regard to the additional 100 teaching posts committed for the further education sector; the number of such posts allocated, and the colleges to which additional posts have been allocated; the number of such posts yet to be allocated and the timescale for their allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36318/05]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 399: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when the 100 new teaching posts in the further education sector which she promised will come on stream during the 2005-06 academic year in view of the fact that to date in 2005 only 63 of these jobs have been created. [36320/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 397 and 399 together.

In the post-leaving certificate sector, an additional 1,540 student places have been approved by my Department during 2005. The majority of these additional student places were notified to PLC providers on the basis of applications received earlier this year. A further 60 student places will be approved shortly. On the basis of a pupil:teacher ratio of 20:1.25, or 16:1 in whole figures, in the PLC sector, an additional 96.25 teaching posts would be available. However, at the time of writing, 74.29 posts have been taken up by schools.

Officials in my Department are in consultation with the relevant management authority and schools to ensure, in so far as possible, an entitlement to new resources under this initiative is applied this year. I am anxious that the schools should take up these posts. Lists of schools benefitting under the initiative will be prepared and sent to the Deputy shortly.