Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 262: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding implementation of the McIver report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12301/06]

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Government commitment to the sector, by reference to the resources applied in teachers' pay, non-pay running costs, student support and certification costs, is very significant. The McIver report contains 21 over-arching recommendations, incorporating 91 sub-recommendations. It has been estimated, in consultation with management and staff interests, that the recommendations for staffing would involve at a minimum the creation of at least 800 new posts at a cost of over €48 million. This level of additional provision cannot be considered in isolation from other areas of education.

In their consideration of the needs of the PLC sector into the future my officials have been examining, inter alia, the non-teaching educational tasks particular to PLC teachers, the demands on the management side and the challenges presented by the variation in size of the 200 plus PLC providers. When their deliberations have been completed further discussion with the management and union side will be necessary. The Government's support for this important sector is clear from the fact that it has increased the number of PLC places by 60% since 1996-97. The number of PLC places approved for 2005-06 is up by more than 1,600 on the 2004-05 level. The number of approved places in the sector now stands at 30,188. Government support for the sector is evident not only in the expansion of approved places and teachers, but also in the introduction of maintenance grants for students with effect from September 1998. Tuition fees for PLC courses are waived. The PLC maintenance grant scheme operates on the same basis as in higher education. There were nearly 8,000 PLC grant holders in 2005 and they received some €23 million in direct support. PLC students are included in the calculation of non-pay budgets issued to schools in respect of running costs. A supplementary non-pay grant towards running costs specifically for PLC schools is also payable. This amounted to €5.5 million in 2005. It is evident that Government commitment to the sector, by reference to the resources applied in teachers' pay, non-pay running costs, student support and certification costs, is very significant.