Vol. 532 No. 2
218 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kerry was charged £1,600 to participate in a second chance two year leaving certificate course in the VEC centre in Moydewell, County Kerry; and if he will outline the financial assistance which is available to this person. [7140/01]
At present tuition is generally free for participants on full-time programmes in further education and at higher education undergraduate level, while students on part-time programmes are charged fees. There are of the order of 1.1 million adults aged 15 to 64 years in Ireland who have less than upper second level education. It is not considered feasible to introduce free education for part-time participants in this group at this stage given the scale of the challenge which is required to promote a framework for lifelong learning. The developments proposed in the White Paper on Adult Education, Learning for Life, provide for large scale increases in adult lit eracy investment, a major expansion of part-time options at further education level, the development of supporting services such as guidance and child care, third level initiatives to promote adult friendly policies and capital and structural investment.
Given the scale of change needed, the priority is to expand the flexibility of core programmes and services for adults, and to concentrate fee relief for part-time participation on those most at risk. The impact of this policy on the participation of specific groups will be monitored.
The back to education initiative, under which part-time options for adults in further education are being expanded, provides for free tuition for participants and their dependants who are unemployed, in receipt of medical cards, means tested welfare payments or family income supplements. In addition, a reduction to 30% of tuition costs is provided for unwaged students with less than upper second level education, while the remaining part-time students will be charged fees. The person to whom the Deputy refers does not qualify for fee relief under the new initiative.
However, grants are paid each year to vocational education committees under the special initiatives for disadvantaged adults scheme under which flexible supports may be provided on a discretionary basis to enable disadvantaged students to participate in courses free or at nominal cost. It is understood that the person involved in this case has recently agreed to provide information to the Kerry Education Service that would help establish her eligibility for assistance under this scheme.
The fee quoted has been calculated on the basis of £2 per hour and is in keeping with charges elsewhere across the system towards delivery costs.
