Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 March 2004
149 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Education and Science if, in view of the fact that the budget and allowances for VTOS have not increased since 1989, he will now consider increasing the travel and child care allowances to a level where they will meet the actual costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10147/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraA participant on a VTOS programme receives free tuition and is entitled to a training allowance in lieu of an unemployment payment, equivalent to the maximum rate of unemployment benefit. VTOS students with other eligible social welfare entitlements, such as one-parent family payment, continue to receive their payment from the Department of Social and Family Affairs.
VTOS students receive books and materials free of charge, and may be entitled to a travel allowance if they reside more than three miles from a centre. The rates of the travel allowance are equivalent to those paid to participants on FÁS training courses. A training bonus of €31.80 per week is also paid to students who have been in receipt of their social welfare payment for at least 12 months directly before joining VTOS.
VTOS participants are also eligible to receive assistance towards child care costs. Grants are paid annually by my Department to the vocational education committees for this purpose. The local administration of the child care service is a matter for the individual VECs. The grant is intended as a contribution to costs. The overall financial provision for child care assistance for participants on these programmes for 2004 is €4.8 million. This compares with the initial budget in 2003 of just under €3 million.
150 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Education and Science if, in the context of budget preparation for 2005, he will consider increasing the capital funding for VTOS in that year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10148/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraAdult education programmes in general are not provided in purpose-built accommodation. Programmes such as VTOS are provided either in emerging spare accommodation in schools or in rented premises and are equipped on an ongoing basis through their non-pay budgets.
Within the constraints of available resources and in view of the prospect that accommodation will increasingly become available through a decline in mainstream enrolments in the school system, it would not be practical or cost effective to develop a general system of capital provision for adult education.
As a result of a recent initiative, limited capital funding for premises for adult education can be made available in cases where special difficulties arise through, for example, the unavailability of accommodation for rent. Such funding comes from within the provision for first, second and third-level institutions, rather than from VTOS funds and is subject to the priorities governing the use of capital funds. I envisage that this arrangement will continue. I also envisage that adult education will for the most part continue to be provided in existing school buildings or in rented premises.
