asked the Minister for Education, given the need to advertise courses and given the termination of temporary teachers' contracts in September and the great public anxiety that exists, if she will assure the Dáil that a sufficient allocation will be made now to the vocational sector of education so that it can continue providing services that are badly needed by those involved in the provision of travellers education, education for prisoners, adult literacy programmes, adult education courses and special education programmes usually advertised before the autumn; if she will announce before the Dáil goes into recess, the allocations for the vocational sector for the years 1986-87 and 1987-88 so that the anxieties of the many temporary teachers who face redundancy before the Dáil resumes can be relieved; if she will indicate to the institutions, heavily dependent on such teachers for courses, that they can retain the teachers in their employment given that some entire departments are faced with virtual closure before September unless these matters are resolved now; and if she will give details of the proposals if any there are for such redeployment that she intends discussing with the teachers' union involved.
Written Answers. - Vocational Education.
My Department is currently considering and will shortly be issuing the 1987-88 allocations of teachers to vocational education committees under the heading "Co-operation with other institutions" to provide for the educational needs of travellers, prisoners etc. I am satisfied that my Department will be in a position to make allocations which will be sufficient to meet the needs of the VECs in these areas.
As regards adult literacy, the Deputy will be aware from answers I have given in this House recently in reply to a number of similar questions from other Deputies, that I have allocated £400,000 to vocational education committees this year for the provision of adult literacy and community education free of charge or at nominal cost. This is £50,000 in excess of what was allocated for the same service last year and £250,000 greater than the provision made in 1985. The Deputy will appreciate that where provision for a service has increased, and substantially increased as against 1985, the question regarding redundancies and closures hardly merits serious consideration. Other adult education courses, apart from second chance courses for adults who have left school with no formal qualification, are expected to be self-financing. As regards second chance adult education courses, I am at present in consultation with the IVEA in regard to the provision to be made in this area for 1987-88.
The vocational education committees have already been advised of their 1986-87 teacher allocations in respect of these services. The question of the employment and assignment of teachers to schools from within these allocations is a matter for each vocational education committee.