Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 March 2005
415 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Science the criteria for funding community-led education; if increases in funding have been above inflation in recent years; and her concerns regarding the lack of salary increases or pension plans of many of the staff working in the sector. [7915/05]
View answerMy Department provides grants to vocational education committees on an annual basis to support the provision of education in community settings. The VECs do this by way of direct grants to such groups or by the provision of an outreach service to meet locally identified needs. The distribution of community education grants within its area is determined by the VEC, subject to the overall community education allocation from my Department. In addition, community-based education groups are eligible to apply for funding on an annual basis under the community strand of the back to education initiative that was introduced in 2002.
Funding for community education has exceeded the level of inflation in recent years and this is also the case in the current year. Community education organisations are themselves responsible for the remuneration and conditions of employment of staff employed by them.
