Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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579. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the publically funded colleges here that offer training courses for chefs; the numbers of places annually on each course; the role Bord Fáilte play in the training and accreditation of chefs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39784/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The statutory functions of Fáilte Ireland are set out in the National Tourism Development Authority Act.  In fulfilling its statutory role Fáilte Ireland carries out the necessary research to establish education and training needs at national level and disseminates these to the Institutes of Technology thereby supporting the Institutes in enhancing programme design, delivery and evaluation capacity related to education and training for the tourism industry. In that regard the number of places for provided Chef Training is primarily a matter for the colleges concerned in consultation with Fáilte Ireland.

I have asked Failte Ireland to provide the Deputy with details of the number of students supported  in professional craft and management programmes in the Institutes of Technology in 2013.