Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 May 2004
129 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Education and Science the specific actions that have been taken, and staff and funding allocated, to implement the recommendations of the McIver Consulting report commissioned by his Department. [13081/04]
View answerThe recommendations of the McIver Consulting report on PLC provision are wide-ranging and encompass proposals that have implications for the shaping of structures for the delivery of further and adult education into the future. Having regard to the number and scope of the recommendations in the report, consultations have been held with management and staff interests with regard to the prioritisation of recommendations.
Further discussions are scheduled over the coming weeks. PLC provision in further education colleges is only one aspect of my Department's overall strategy in the field of further and adult education. The potential for greater coherence in the organisation and management of the total provision for further and adult education needs to be taken into account in the consideration of the recommendations for the McIver report.
The report included a recommendation that organisations involved in the further education sector should form a council of further education colleges with the specific composition of that body to be discussed further. As an initial step the Minister of State, Deputy de Valera, addressed a meeting of the stakeholders in the PLC sector on Tuesday, 4 May with a view to having them agree proposals for submission to the Department about the composition and remit of the council.
