Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be pleased to learn that SOLAS, the Further Education and Training Authority, is providing once-off support to address the short-term funding pressures being experienced by Specialist Training Providers (STPs) including the Rehab Group's National Learning Networks (NLNs).

As Deputy will be aware, the Rehab Group's NLNs operating throughout the country offer vocational courses funded by the Education and Training Boards and rehabilitative training programmes funded by the HSE. SOLAS is currently undertaking an independent evaluation of the STPs. The purpose of the evaluation is to generate evidence-based conclusions and propose recommendations about the quality, effectiveness, on-going relevance and overall value of vocational training that is currently delivered and the integration of this training within the wider further education and training provision by ETBs. The evaluation is underway and due for completion by the end of the year.

The FET Strategy FutureFET:Transforming Learning notes that the recommendations arising from the ongoing evaluation of Specialist Training Provision will be implemented over the lifetime of the new strategy, with scope to increase accommodation of people with disabilities in mainstream FET rather than separate dedicated provision.

Once the independent evaluation is complete, its findings will be considered by SOLAS and my Department, in consultation with the specialist training providers. The review of the funding model for STPs going forward will be considered in that context.