North/South Further Education Agreement

25 August 2006
NORTH/SOUTH FURTHER EDUCATION AGREEMENT

Access to courses for Republic of Ireland resident students attending Further Education Colleges in Northern Ireland will continue for the 2006/07 academic year.
This follows intensive discussion between the relevant Departments, North and South. The Departments of Education and Science and Enterprise Trade and Employment have agreed in principle to make a one-off contribution towards the Department for Employment and Learning's funding of colleges for the relevant students involved.
The Departments will continue discussions in the context of on-going North/South co-operation to address this in the longer term, in particular the legal issues that have been raised on the entitlement of Republic of Ireland resident students to access Further Education courses in Northern Ireland colleges.
A Department for Employment and Learning spokesman said:
"We have agreed to continue discussions with our counterparts in the Republic of Ireland with a view to resolving outstanding issues for future years."
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Media queries to the Department for Employment and Learning on Press Office on 028 9025 7872.

Click here to print this press release.