Course funding in place from previous government

FUNDING for thousands of the 15,900 places on courses being provided for unemployed people was already allocated by the last government.

Almost 6,000 of the education and training places are in third-level colleges for people who lost their jobs in sectors hit worst by the recession.

But this Higher Education Springboard programme was unveiled last December as a €20m three-year scheme and just 2,400 of the positions are as a result of the extra €2.8m now being provided.