Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Dec 2001

Vol. 545 No. 4

Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

431 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason the recently announced support grants are not being made in respect of post-leaving certificate students; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the development of post-leaving certificate courses has been heavily dependent on support services provided through community employment schemes; his views on whether these courses will be put at risk because the necessary support grants for secretarial and other school services are being denied to schools in respect of post-leaving certificate students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30887/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

My Department provides secretarial and other support services to vocational education committees, the main providers of post-leaving certificate courses, on a VEC scheme basis. The way in which such staffing is allocated to VEC schools and colleges is a matter for each committee in line with their priorities and perceptions of need.

Responsibility for the operation of community employment schemes in schools/education centres lies with FÁS. In line with a PPF commitment to mainstream certain services provided under CE, I recently secured the transfer of £46 million, 58,407,951, per annum to my Department on a phased basis between now and 2003, as the FÁS primary and secondary school based community employment schemes come to an end. This funding is being made available to second level schools by way of increased grants under the school services support fund. My Department will receive a total of £32 million, 40,631,618, in this school year.

In relation to the mainstreaming of services provided under CE in respect of post leaving courses, my officials are in continuing discussions with their counterparts in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and FÁS regarding this issue. These discussions are aimed at ensuring that as CE schemes in the education sector are phased out, funding equivalent to the amount spent on such schemes would be made available to my Department.

In the discussions that took place in connection with the transfer of funding, I agreed with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and FÁS that all school and college based CE participants with a legitimate expectation of up to three years participation in a school and college based CE scheme will be facilitated to complete their full term. This adjustment to the phasing out of CE schemes in schools and colleges means that certain CE participants may be entitled to continue working on CE in schools and colleges up to and including 2004 depending on their individual circumstances and entitlements under CE. This adjustment should also ensure that the withdrawal of CE schemes takes place on a more gradual basis and therefore reduce the immediate impact on schools and colleges.