Vocational Education Committees.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 February 2010

Tuesday, 16 February 2010

Ceisteanna (539)

Mary Wallace

Ceist:

598 Deputy Mary Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of post leaving certificate course places in relation to population on a county basis; if his attention has been drawn to the increase in demand for PLC places in a college (details supplied) in County Meath; his views on the fact that this college is catering for the majority of PLC students in County Meath and that the adjoined area of Dublin, which as no PLC college of its own, and students from Dublin 15 and the surrounding areas of west Dublin are depending on the Meath Vocational Education Committee PLC places at this college as there are no places in their own area; his plans to review the position with a view to addressing this imbalance in view of the fact of the 2009 figures where 705 people applied for places at this college which has an allocation of 212 places from the County Meath cap of 250 places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7797/10]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science (Deputy Seán Haughey)

The Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) programme provides an integrated general education, vocational training and work experience programme for young people who have completed their Leaving Certificate and adults returning to education. The information requested by the Deputy is in the following table.

List of PLC places sanctioned for 2009/2010 academic year and Population by County

County	2009/10 Approved PLC Places	Population (2006 Census)
Cavan	1,216	64,003
Carlow	870	50,349
Clare	290	110,950
Cork	5,374	481,295
Dublin	10,915	1,187,176
Donegal	205	147,264
Galway	1,568	231,670
Kerry	562	139,835
Kildare	357	186,335
Kilkenny	528	87,558
Laois	370	67,059
Leitrim	108	28,950
Limerick	1,470	184,055
Longford	350	34,391
Louth	1,100	111,267
Mayo	665	123,839
Meath	328	162,831
Monaghan	278	55,997
Offaly	50	70,868
Roscommon	79	58,768
Sligo	580	60,894
Tipperary	919	149,244
Waterford	1,023	107,961
Wexford	904	131,749
Westmeath	599	79,346
Wicklow	980	126,194
Total	31,688	4,239,848

Population data sourced from www.cso.ie.

There are a total of 31,688 approved PLC places available nationwide. The number of approved PLC places allocated to County Meath Vocational Education Committee (VEC) has more than doubled over the past five years from 136 in 2004/2005 to 290 in the current academic year (2009/2010). Currently three schools within County Meath VEC are approved PLC providers: the College of Further Education, Dunboyne; St. Oliver's Post Primary School, Oldcastle; and Beaufort College, Navan.

There are also two approved PLC providers in County Meath outside the VEC sector: Boyne Community School, Trim (22 places); and Athboy Community School (16 PLC places). This brings the total number of approved PLC places in Co Meath to 328. PLC places are allocated to providers, mainly VECs, on an annual basis following an application process. It is a matter for VECs to allocate places to their colleges and institutions. Each application is examined by my Department on its merits, taking into account current and previous allocations, current and previous demand and uptake, the overall places available and the overall demand from VECs generally. Regard is also had in this context to ensuring appropriate provision on a geographic basis and the necessary critical mass for delivery of a quality education service.

The overall number of approved PLC places is set at its current level because there is a continuing requirement to plan and control numbers and to manage expenditure within the context of overall educational policy and provision.