Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 350: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will extend a course (details supplied) until at least June 2008. [7900/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The course that the Deputy refers to is provided by the local VEC under the Back to Education Initiative (BTEI). The BTEI provides part-time Further Education programmes for adults. The aim is to give them an opportunity to combine a return to learning with family, work and other responsibilities.

Programmes are offered on a part-time basis, in the mornings, afternoons, evenings or at weekends. Under the BTEI a programme may be offered for as little as one hour per week or as much as 17 hours per week, depending on the needs and demands of the prospective learners. It is recommended that programme duration for individual learners not exceed 400 hours per annum i.e. 400 hundred hours over a twelve month period.

My Department sanctions hours to VECs under the BTEI scheme to operate these part-time programmes. The operation of the programme is a matter for the VEC. Any queries in relation to the operation of this programme should be addressed to the VEC in question.