Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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48. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the proposed changes to a programme (details supplied) in Tallaght, Dublin 24, which would cut student numbers by half; and if he will consult the local VEC with a view to changing this proposal which will have a very damaging effect on an area that has some of the highest rates of unemployment in the country. [20418/14]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Following the amalgamation of the former Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Vocational Educational Committees (VECs), Dublin Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board (ETB) has 510 approved VTOS places. Following the amalgamation and the taking on of responsibility for the former FÁS services, the ETB carried out a review of the provision of its Adult Education services.

The ETB have informed my Department that during this review it became apparent that while the Tallaght area had 120 approved VTOS places, Balbriggan, a rapidly growing area with high unemployment, only had 20 approved places. The ETB then made the decision to increase the available places in Balbriggan by 20, bringing their allocation to 40 VTOS places, and to reduce by 20 the number of places in the Tallaght area, leaving them with 100 VTOS places. VTOS places are allocated to Education and Training Boards. Further distribution of these places to centres under their remit is a matter for each ETB.