Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2026
1039. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of students enrolled in FET courses in each of the past five years; and if his Department supports the admissions policy of some FET courses that only accepts students over 23 years with a leaving certificate qualification. [45292/26]
View answerFurther Education and Training (FET) provides a broad range of lifelong learning opportunities for individuals aged 16 and over.
Certain programmes, such as Youthreach, are specifically designed for early school leavers who may have limited qualifications and therefore include age-related entry criteria to reflect this target group.
My officials have engaged with SOLAS and the Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) on this matter. They have confirmed that there are no FET courses with admission policies requiring applicants to be over 23 years of age while also holding a Leaving Certificate qualification.
SOLAS reports the number of learners enrolled in FET courses in the past five years is as follows:
|
SOLAS FET Learner Numbers |
Unique Learners |
|
|
|
|
|
Year |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Total |
144,160 |
186,740 |
218,775 |
230,007 |
224,676 |
