Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 25: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will lift the cap on the number of places available in further education colleges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19255/09]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The number of approved PLC places is determined in the context of the continuing requirement to plan and control numbers and to manage expenditure within the context of overall education policy and provision.

From September 2009, with a view to responding to increased training needs in the present economic context, resources have been redeployed to create an additional 1,500 Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) places. This will bring the total number of approved PLC places to 31,688.

The PLC programme provides successful participants with specific vocational skills to enhance their prospects of securing lasting, full-time employment, or progression to other studies. The allocation of these extra 1,500 PLC places is another step in expanding opportunities and broadening access to further education so that people can enhance their employment skills.