Written answers

Wednesday, 25 September 2013

Department of Education and Skills

Post-Leaving Certificate Courses

Photo of Brian WalshBrian Walsh (Galway West, Independent)
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79. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify eligibility for access to PLC, VTOS and youthreach programmes for non EU nationals who entered the country after 1999; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39910/13]

Photo of Ciarán CannonCiarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Access to the Post Leaving Certificate (PLC), Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) and Youthreach programmes for non EU nationals in the following categories is available under the same conditions as apply to Irish nationals: persons who have refugee status in Ireland - be that convention or programme refugee status; persons in the State as the spouse of an EU national, where the EU national has moved from one country to another within the EU to work; persons (including their dependent spouse and children) who have been granted leave to remain in the State on humanitarian grounds; persons who have permission to remain in the State as the parents of a child born in Ireland.

Applicants must also meet the specific qualifying criteria for each programme. In respect of the PLC programme, all other categories of applicants must pay the full economic fee currently €3,653 per annum. In respect of the VTOS programme, applicants must be aged 21 or over and be in receipt of a qualifying Department of Social Protection payment or signing for credits for at least six months.

As a general rule, pupils are admitted to primary and second level schools in Ireland irrespective of their nationality or status, and non-EU nationals, refugees and asylum seekers under 18 can avail of free education at their local schools. Where refugees or asylum seekers aged 15-18 have not completed upper second level education and their circumstances are such that school is not a viable option, they may be admitted to Youthreach as an exceptional measure until they reach 18 years of age.

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