I would like to congratulate the learners involved on their Oscar nominations and to congratulate in particular the winner of the 2010 Best Visual Effects Oscar. We are very proud of their achievements and as Minister for Lifelong Learning, I am very proud of the important role played by further education in their lifelong learning journey. They are a credit to themselves and their families and I would wish them all well in their future endeavours.
The Deputy will be aware that the overall number of approved Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) places is set at its current level of 31,688 (including an additional 1,500 places allocated as part of the 2009 Supplementary Budget) because there is a continuing requirement to plan and control numbers and to manage expenditure within the context of overall educational policy and provision. This overall number of approved PLC places is being maintained for the next academic year (2010/2011).
PLC places are allocated to providers (mainly VECs) on an annual basis following an application process. It is a matter for VECs to allocate places to their colleges and institutions. Each application is examined by my Department on its merits, taking into account current and previous allocations, current and previous demand and uptake, the overall places available and the overall demand from VECs generally. Regard is also had in this context to ensuring appropriate provision on a geographic basis and the necessary critical mass for delivery of a quality education service. However, it is not possible to approve all the places applied for by providers in any given year.
Ballyfermot College is one of the PLC Colleges operated by City of Dublin VEC. For the current academic year (2009/2010), City of Dublin VEC was allocated a total of 7,538 PLC places (including 180 of the additional 1,500 places referred to above). Any application by City of Dublin VEC for additional PLC places for 2010/2011 will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the constraints outlined above.