Vol. 484 No. 2
2 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Science the amount of money which has been set aside to introduce a system of maintenance grants for students on post leaving certificate courses in view of the fact that the 1998 Estimates for Public Services have been published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21737/97]
The programme for Government, An Action Programme for the Millennium, provides a commitment to the introduction of equitable support of students attending post leaving certificate courses. This commitment reflects one aspect of the importance which the Government attaches to students in the PLC sector.
The introduction of maintenance grants for students attending PLC courses involves the development of significant new administrative arrangements. It is very important to realise that it is not simply a case of replicating arrangements already used for the third-level maintenance grants scheme. However, it is our intention to introduce grants, which will be at the same level as the third level maintenance grant, as soon as possible for students who are registered on PLC courses as of September 1998. While the method and timing of these payments may take some time to finalise, they will be made and they will fully meet our commitments.
A crucial point to realise is that the Government's commitment to the PLC sector includes its determination to ensure that it is properly resourced in general terms. To this end it has already made a number of important moves. My Department is providing over £39 million this year towards the running costs of PLC courses which play a key role in preparing young people for employment and further education-training. These courses are a significant element of the Government's response to meeting the skills needs in the economy and business leaders have identified PLC courses as an important means of meeting this need.
In the international teleservices area, I have already approved the provision of 690 places in 20 selected centres under which a two year NCVA certified PLC course is provided as part of the national response to emerging skills needs of the industry. This has been accompanied by an investment of £1.5 million in the selected centres to enable them to provide a quality programme consistent with industrial needs. As this new initiative involves intensive placement abroad, a new student support scheme is being introduced towards the cost of the overseas placement. This is an exciting and innovative development which has been warmly applauded by industry and the development agencies and is proceeding well. Both industry and providers were closely involved in the design and development of the programme. I am actively considering a similar initiative in relation to electronics, to further enhance the Government response to meeting skills needs.
The new Education Technology Investment Fund, under which £250 million will be provided in the next three years for technology investment at all levels of education in partnership with industry, includes specific provision for the PLC programme. Some £20 million will be available for PLCs and apprenticeships. This did not happen under any other Government. It is the first time since the initiation of PLCs that serious capital investment has been devoted to the sector. There has been a crying need for such investment which will contribute significantly to underlining its importance.
Through action to properly resource different aspects of their work, I am confident we have demonstrated — and will continue to demonstrate — our unequalled commitment to recognising and promoting the role of the PLC sector.
The commitment in the programme, An Action Programme for the Millennium, is equitable support for students attending PLC courses. Fianna Fáil went further in its manifesto when it said students would be funded on the same basis as other students in similar circumstances at third level. Where exactly in the Book of Estimates is there provision for maintenance grants for PLC students? The Minister talked about global amounts of money. What amount is available to the Minister to pay for the various courses?
For the school year 1998-99 it is our intention to introduce maintenance grants for PLC students who are registered as at September l998. We will have the resources to do that.
A specific question was asked.
We have to work out the methodology and the mechanisms through which the bodies will administer the grants. They will not be administered in the same way as the third level higher education grant scheme. The level of grant to be awarded will be equal to that for third level students. In the context of the overall budget I am confident, when the methodology and the mechanisms have been worked out, we will be in a position to meet this particular commitment.
A recent survey conducted by the TUI indicated there are 17,000 students in the sector, maintenance grants for whom would cost about £13 million. Will the Minister give an undertaking that next September he will have £13 million to apply to maintenance grants for PLC students?
From an internal estimate it is not clear what exactly will be required because much will depend on first year enrolments in September. The vast majority of PLC courses are two years. Up to 50 per cent of the enrolment will not be known until the middle of September. Given leaving certificate numbers one will be in a position to estimate the numbers likely to be on the PLC role. The full year cost has been estimated to be of the order of £11 million to £13 million. It is our intention to introduce maintenance grants for students who will be registering in September l998 for the school year l998-99.
Do I take it the Minister does not intend to provide for second year students on PLC courses?
It would be wrong to make that inference. There is considerable work to be done in terms of estimating the actual amount of money required for the PLC maintenance grant sector.
Is the Minister saying the required money will be provided?
The Deputy's inference is incorrect. There is no question of first year PLC students getting a grant and second year PLC students not getting one. In terms of the operation of the scheme, I was simply making the point that in devising and estimating the cost, one would have to know the specific numbers of students who will attend in September. To a certain extent we can guess the percentage of leaving certificate students who may go on to PLCs given the track record and so on. For third level grant schemes, the forms are issued in June and July. We will not be in a position to issue 50 per cent of the forms until the students are in situ since others may take up different courses. We will be in touch with the vocational education committees in relation to the administration of the scheme.
Will the Minister provide a grant for every qualifying student?
I welcome the Deputy raising this issue. In the past number of years I spent much time endeavouring to persuade the Labour Party, who had control of the education brief for the past four years, to assist the PLC sector but not a single penny in terms of capital was provided to that sector. I have visited many of the PLC colleges, some of which are pre-fabs and others are in an appalling condition. The quality of places must be improved.
Answer the question.
The Government of which the Deputy was a party did absolutely nothing for maintenance grants. With all due respects it is a bit rich of the Deputy to try to lecture me on the post leaving certificate sector. We have done more in six months for the post leaving certificate sector than the Deputy's party or any other party did in the past four to five years.
The Minister has still not answered the question.
I have.
