Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 95: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her timetable for the implementation of the McIver Report; her plans to provide adequate resources to post leaving certificate colleges; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17611/06]

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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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 2005/2006 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. In addition, capital funding for works at 11 post-Leaving Certificate Colleges in 2006 has been agreed.

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.

I want to invest in educational opportunity for learners in Further Education by providing the necessary system supports that will allow the sector as a whole to fulfil its important potential. 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 are under very active consideration by officials at present. It is intended to table concrete proposals for discussion on the way forward. The positive engagement of the main partners will be sought to advance this agenda.