Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 581: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a college (details supplied) in County Cavan has received more than 4,000 applications for courses for the academic year that begins in September 2010; if she will remove the current cap on places in this college, which is currently set at 1200 students; the reason the cap on places in colleges of further education are limited at a time of mass unemployment and when demand for upskilling and retraining has never been greater; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27808/10]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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There were 31,688 approved Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) places available nationwide for the 2009/2010 academic year, including 1,500 additional PLC places allocated as part of the 2009 Supplementary Budget. This level of provision will be maintained for the coming 2010/2011 academic year.

The overall number of approved PLC places is set at its current level because there is a continuing requirement to plan and control public service numbers and to manage expenditure within the context of overall educational policy and provision. The approved PLC centre referred to by the Deputy is operated by Cavan VEC. Cavan VEC was allocated a total of 1,210 PLC places for the 2009/2010 academic year (including 60 of the 1,500 additional places) and this level of provision is being maintained for the 2010/2011 academic year.

Learners apply directly to individual schools and colleges for places on PLC programmes and my Department does not receive details of such applications. In the context of demand for upskilling and retraining, is important not to view PLC provision in isolation from other programmes that provide for upskilling and retraining. It is estimated that over 170,000 learners will avail of part-time and full-time further education programmes in 2010. Alongside further education provision, in 2010 FÁS will provide 147,000 training and work experience places for the unemployed. This compares to the 66,000 equivalent places that were delivered in 2008. In addition, the total number of full-time enrolments in universities and institutes of technology is estimated at more than 150,000 for the 2009/2010 academic year.