Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 161: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of teachers employed in vocational training opportunity schemes. [30434/07]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) is a second chance education initiative, which is funded by my Department, for unemployed persons who are over 21 years of age and in receipt of certain social welfare payments for a minimum of six months. It is operated by the Vocational Education Committees throughout the country.

VTOS students are currently organised in either core groups, or as dispersed students in post-leaving certificate programmes (PLCs). The total number of VTOS student-places is 5,000.

Teachers of the VTOS programme are general vocational teachers. Each VEC is paid a block grant to cover the salaries of all teachers in its scheme. This distribution of this grant and the allocation of teachers to subjects and programmes, including VTOS, are determined by the VEC. Information obtained informally would indicate the number of VTOS teaching staff of core VTOS students to be of the order of 205 full-time and 360 part-time, as of October 2007.

The teacher allocation for VTOS students in dispersed mode is separate and is covered by the PLC staff allocation.