Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 143: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the rebranding of FÁS to SOLAS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23057/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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In July 2011, the Government decided that a new further education and training authority, to be called SOLAS, should be established. SOLAS will operate under the aegis of the Department of Education and Skills, and will co-ordinate and fund the wide range of further education and training programmes around the country. The establishment of SOLAS, the disbanding of FAS and making VECs responsible for the delivery of Further Education and Training programmes to learners is the most significant change in Further Education and Training in decades. It does not merely involve rebranding. The branding of SOLAS is a small but necessary part of the significant change management process that is involved. This will be one of the issues for consideration by the SOLAS Implementation Group which has been set up to oversee the process. Particular care will be exercised to ensure that the costs associated with the rebranding will not be excessive.

There are currently no plans for compulsory redundancies in FÁS, nor are there any plans to recruit additional staff.