Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 12 Oct 2000

Vol. 524 No. 1

Written Answers. - Apprenticeship System.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

157 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will report on the on-going dispute between his Department, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the institutes of technology regarding the marking of assessment exam papers of fourth phase apprentices who attend the institute of technologies; the reasons for this dispute; and the steps he will take to resolve it as a matter of urgency in order that these apprentices can continue with their training. [21799/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

The operational arrangements relating to the assessment and certification of apprentices under the standards based apprenticeship system which was agreed by all relevant groups were set out in a letter from my Department to the various institutes of technology in December 1995. The arrangements clearly stated that assessment for phase four would consist of two occasions of testing and that a terminal examination would apply only at the end of phase six of the apprenticeship system. This latter would be the only situation in which payment for an examination as part of the apprenticeship system would be made.

In August 1999 it was brought to the attention of my Department that certain of the institutes of technology were conducting both occasions of phase four testing at the end of phase four. My Department subsequently issued circular letter No 1T 9/99 on the assessment regulations governing phase four procedures reiterating the position as set out in 1995. All directors of institutes of technology and the president of Dublin Institute of Technology were directed to ensure that the sanctioned arrangements would be complied with.

Notwithstanding this direction, the Department has been advised that in latter months certain phase four assessment results have been withheld by staff in the institutes, who are TUI members, who are seeking examination payments in respect of this testing. Efforts to resolve the dispute are ongoing.