The establishment of a national adult learning council is one of a comprehensive range of recommendations set out in the White Paper on Adult Education: Learning for Life, published in 2000.
The White Paper provides that the council would be established on a statutory basis as an executive agency of the Department of Education and Science. A legislative framework for the establishment of executive agencies has already been provided for under the Education Act, 1998.
The initial full year operational costs of such a council are estimated at £1.4 million excluding any capital outlay. The resources for such a development will be examined in the context of the funds available in the Estimates.