Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider reversing the pupil teacher ratio and lifting the cap on student numbers in colleges of further education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17580/13]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will reverse the pupil teacher ratio and lift the cap on student numbers in colleges of further education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17584/13]

Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the impact the changes in the pupil teacher ratio will have on colleges of further education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17583/13]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the impact that the changes in the pupil teacher ratio will have on colleges of further education on teaching jobs and on opportunities for young people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17581/13]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 18, 33, 52 and 56 together.

The number of approved places available under the PLC programme is 32,688. My Department is not in a position to increase this number as there is a continuing requirement to plan and control numbers and to manage expenditure within the context of overall educational policy and provision.

The change of pupil teacher ratio for the Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) programme will reduce the overall number of PLC teaching posts by 200 and may lead to some reduction in subject choices for students but not approved places.

CEOs of VECs have until September to plan how best to deal with this change so that they can continue to deliver programmes which meet the needs of students and employers. My Department has received a number of impact statements from VECs and these are currently being considered.

It is not possible to make any adjustment to this decision without a compensating saving measure in the sector.