Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 1023: To ask the Minister for Education and Science his views of removing the cap on student numbers in the PLC sector which will allow students and people who are on the live register to train or retrain to help them gain skilled employment or enable them to proceed to third level education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10874/09]

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 1033: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will lift the current cap on post leaving certificate places in order to benefit the economy (details supplied). [11075/09]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1023 and 1033 together.

The number of approved PLC places is set at its current level of 30,188 because there is a continuing requirement to plan and control numbers and to manage expenditure within the context of overall educational policy and provision. Due to the difficult budgetary position, it was not possible to increase the number of places this year. Any possible future increase would have to take account of the present and prospective economic and budgetary context and related financial constraints.