Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 20: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the discussions he has had with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment regarding a possible re-allocation of the recently announced funds for FÁS to create 51,000 training places into his Department's budget in order that additional courses can be created within the further education and third level sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7922/09]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is working with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with a view to improving the co-ordination of our efforts and facilitating better co-operation and collaboration at local and regional level among the relevant education and training providers. The additional places are being provided by FAS from within existing resources. In delivering these places FÁS will, in addition to their own delivery of courses, contract with other bodies for provision of relevant courses. It will be open to VECs and Institutes of Technology to bid for the provision of appropriate courses. All of these organisations are working together at both national and local level to ensure that both the education and training sectors respond in an optimal way to the situation we are currently facing.