Question:
81 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will provide more third level places in order that apprentices can complete the third level component of their training. [3348/00]
Written Answers. - Institutes of Technology.
The need for additional capacity in institutes of technology to cater for increases in the numbers of apprentices is being addressed in conjunction with the institutes.
A major capital investment programme to provide extra capacity is in train and extra facilities will be provided in Cork, Dublin, Dundalk, Limerick, Sligo and Waterford Institutes of Technology as quickly as possible.
My Department has also provided the institutes with additional resources to enable them to expand existing programmes where possible. Extra staff have been sanctioned and additional funding is being provided to meet the cost of extra courses. In the two financial years 1998 and 1999 a total of £6 million of additional recurrent funding was provided to fund additional courses. A further £5 million extra is being provided this year. As a result of the measures taken to date the number of apprentices catered for in the educational system has increased from approximately 4,000 in 1997-98 to 6,700 in 1998-99 and to about 7,200 in the current academic year.
In order to address the current shortfall in places efforts are being made to expand capacity as a matter of urgency in a number of centres, particularly in the Dublin region. In addition my Department is liaising at present with the institutes of technology and the Teachers Union of Ireland with a view to putting in place the necessary arrangements to run courses for apprentices during the coming summer months.