Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 102: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on whether all students attending part-time education for the first time should be enabled to access free education on the same basis as full-time students. [34001/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Students pursuing approved part time undergraduate courses are eligible for tax relief on their fees. The Towards 2016 agreement also contains a commitment to put in place a targeted scheme to alleviate the fees in public institutions for part-time courses at third level for those at work who have not previously pursued a third level qualification. The Higher Education Authority, in consultation with my Department, has been developing a scheme in response to this commitment and a pilot programme in Pharmaceutical Technology has commenced in IT Tallaght. It is expected that a number of other pilot programmes will commence in 2008. The Strategic Innovation Fund which the Government introduced to incentivise reform and modernisation of higher education also provide opportunities for institutions to review their structures to provide better opportunities for part-time provision. For example, in the institute of technology sector, Cork IT is leading a project to enhance opportunities for people in employment to access learning to enhance their skills for current and future occupations.

The Programme for Government also includes a commitment to introduce a more extensive new system of means-tested free fees, with a view to enabling more people with work or family commitments to avail of opportunities at third level. The timescale for implementing this commitment will depend on the resources available in future Budgets.