Written answers

Wednesday, 5 April 2006

Department of Education and Science

Adult Education

9:00 pm

Photo of Michael D HigginsMichael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the proposed timeframe for implementing the recommendations of the McIver report which has been accepted in principle by the Government; if she will make provision to commence the implementation in 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13501/06]

Photo of John GormleyJohn Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 79: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the aspects of the McIver report which she will implement in the coming 12 months. [13446/06]

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 83: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if it is envisaged to implement any of the McIver report recommendations before the end of 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13324/06]

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 42, 79 and 83 together.

Government commitment to the PLC sector, by reference to the resources applied in teachers' pay, non-pay running costs, student support and certification costs, is very significant.

We have increased the number of PLC places by 60% since 1996-97. Indeed, 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.

We also extended the provision of maintenance grants to PLC students with effect from September 1998. 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. Tuition fees for PLC courses are also waived.

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.

Other developments funded by my Department of direct benefit to the PLC sector include the provision of national certification under the Further Education and Training Awards Council and the development of progression links with higher education in the institutes of technology.

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.

The McIver report also featured in recent discussions my officials had with representatives of the Irish Vocational Education Association.

I expect to be in a position shortly to give detailed consideration to the nature and extent of my response to the McIver recommendations as well as the issues which the management and union sides must also address. When I have arrived at decisions in that regard it will be necessary for my officials to have further discussions with the management and union sides. The timing and extent of implementation will depend on the outcome of those discussions.

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