Will the Minister for Education and Science be responding?
Adjournment Debate. - County Cork Motor School.
I understand that the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children will respond.
I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Moffatt. I had hoped that the Minister for Education and Children, Deputy Martin, would be in a position to attend. To coin a phrase, I was looking forward to seeing the whites of his eyes and the colour of his money on this issue because, as a Minister and as an Opposition spokesperson, Deputy Martin has given the most explicit promises to the school authorities that he would announce a decision in favour of retaining the motor apprenticeship school in Mallow.
The history of that school goes back to 1967, during which time over 2,200 motor apprentices have been trained there. It has been of huge benefit and status, not just to Davis College in Mallow but to the town and the north Cork region generally. It has been at the centre of the development of VEC based education and the development of Davis College in Mallow. We are all anxious that the motor apprenticeship school will be retained.
The training of apprentices at Davis College has been a successful enterprise from an educational and training point of view. It is a shining example of the goodwill and co-operation which can exist between the Department, County Cork VEC, the motor industry, FÁS, the Institute of Road Transport Engineers and the apprentices themselves.
The college has a long tradition in apprenticeship training. Prior to 1967, fitter and motor apprentices attended half day release courses. In 1967 the automobile engineering department was built and was, at that stage, equipped to the highest standards. Since then there have been significant further developments. It is a senior centre for motor apprenticeship education and has the most modern facilities available.
It was one of the first centres in the country to provide block release programmes back in 1968. It also provides a module in automobile engineering for the PLC applied technology courses, as well as providing modules in automobile engineering for Teagasc. It is a major facility with specialist workshops and trained staff. It has contributed greatly to the employment of young people in the area who wish to pursue a career in the motor industry.
SIMI, the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, is a major proponent of the case for retaining the school in Mallow. The SIMI group in the north Cork and Limerick areas has lobbied strongly for the facility's retention.
While we all concede that political promises sometimes have to be taken with a grain of salt, on this issue the Minister and other politicians now in Government, gave specific promises in advance of the 1997 general election that they would retain the facility in Mallow. The Minister visited the facility last October and stated publicly that he would reverse a previous decision to close the course.
Now is the time for that decision to be publicly announced. I look forward to an early and favourable decision by the Minister on the matter. Political cynicism is served by breaking solemn promises. A very solemn political promise was given that this centre would be retained and fully developed. I hope that the Minister of State, on behalf of his colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, will be able to announce good news for the motor industry, Mallow and north Cork.
The Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Martin, is grateful to the Deputy for raising this matter and is glad of the opportunity to clarify the position.
The County Cork Vocational Education Committee provided an effective day release course for motor car engineering apprentices in its second level school, Davis College in Mallow, for many years. Under the new standard based apprenticeship system all day release courses are being discontinued and are being replaced by block release courses. The Deputy may be aware that under the PESP and the Programme for a Partnership Government 1993-7 it was agreed that the statutory apprenticeship scheme would be improved by developing a standard based rather than a time served approach. A new apprenticeship training model, comprising four on the job training modules and three off the job training modules, was developed by FÁS in consultation with the social partners. The first off the job training module takes place in FÁS training centres and the second and final off the job modules take place in institutes of technology.
The new apprenticeship system has been introduced on a phased basis and will result in the rationalisation of provision for the delivery of the craft apprenticeship programme. When this system is fully operational some institutes and vocational schools, which have been involved in the delivery of day release motor apprentice programmes, will no longer be required to be providers of such programmes.
The operational arrangements for the delivery of the new system are those recommended by a working group representative of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, FÁS, the institutes of technology and the Department of Education and Science. The new system is being implemented in the most effective and efficient way to ensure that expensive specialist training facilities will be utilised as fully as possible.
The original arrangements involve phasing out motor apprentices training at Davis College in Mallow. However, as a result of representations the Minister has received and having regard to changing recruitment patterns and the increased uptake of designated apprenticeships, he has instructed his Department to urgently review the need for training places for apprentices in the education sector. In the light of increased uptake of apprenticeships in the designated trades, he is reasonably confident that the outcome of the current review will result in Davis College in Mallow having a continuing role in apprenticeship training.
I hope that is good news for the Deputy.
The Dáil adjourned at 5.20 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 12 May 1998.