Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 183: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the amount of money allocated to the outdoor education centres in the country each year for the past three years; the commitments made by her Department for allocation for 2008; the allocation that will be made in 2008; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7374/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Outdoor Education Centres (OECs) have been developed by Vocational Education Committees in order to enhance the quality of the educational experience for young people through outdoor education programmes. They cater mainly for primary and post-primary students, including young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and also for third-level students, youth groups, special needs groups and adults. During periods such as school holidays, when the centres are not fully utilised for educational purposes, additional income is generated from courses provided on a commercial basis for the leisure and tourism market.

There are currently 9 recognised centres and 3 unrecognised centres. Funding was originally approved on the basis that the centres would be self-financing. Accordingly, my Department's annual grants are contributory in nature and go mainly towards the core staffing costs involved in running the centres.

The funding provided by my Department to the OECs in the past three years is as follows:

2005 — €1.886m

2006 — €1.990m

2007 — €2.116m.

The allocation to the OECs for 2008 is currently being finalised, and my Department will notify the relevant Vocational Education Committees in due course.