Private Schools

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 July 2014

Tuesday, 1 July 2014

Ceisteanna (604, 617)

Billy Timmins

Ceist:

604. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding a pilot training college (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27995/14]

Clare Daly

Ceist:

617. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the action his Department can take to assist those who lost out because of the collapse of the pilot training scheme in July 2012 in view of the fact that the circumstances are comparable to those who lost out because of the recent collapse of English language schools, whereby an interdepartmental taskforce was established to deal with the language students and they have already been assisted with the costs of furthering their studies in future. [28346/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

I propose to take Questions Nos. 604 and 617 together.

The closure of the English Language Schools gave rise to a number of issues which crossed Departmental remits and a Task Force was established to examine the situation.  On an initiative of the private colleges involved in the task force an offer was made for students to complete their education with the colleges at a discounted fee. This came at no cost to the Exchequer. The State is not in a position to compel such a measure for flight schools. However, the scale of the fees involved in language training is significantly less than that for flight training. 

Following the collapse of PTC in 2012, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) also made every effort to assist the students of the college to complete their training at a reasonable cost through its engagement with the relevant training providers in Florida and here in Ireland. The IAA secured the records of the students and all flight and ground training carried out in Florida up to then, ensuring accreditation towards student’s final qualifications where possible.  In addition, the IAA funded and helped facilitate, on a once-off basis, the repatriation to Ireland of those students who were training in Florida.

The responsibility of the IAA for flight training organisations extends to the oversight of the safety, quality and standard of the training being delivered, and the conduct of examinations and flight tests to the appropriate EU standard. This includes whether a company has sufficient resources to safely provide the training required to the internationally determined standards. However, the IAA has no involvement in, or responsibility for, overseeing the financial viability of the company or the contractual arrangements between pilot training centres and students.

The failure of the Pilot Training College (PTC) in Waterford to meet its contractual obligations to students is a matter of company law and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement is the appropriate body to investigate any alleged breaches of company law.