asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that some adult literacy teachers are working without pay due to financial shortages; when the 1988 financial allocation for adult literacy will be made available to the vocational education committees; the plans she has for developing adult literacy courses as an integral part of the education system; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

The issue of adult literacy teachers working without pay due to financial shortages has not been raised with me or my Department. The vocational education committees are at present being informed of their allocation for 1988, and arrangements are now being made to make the payments to them. I have no plans to change the present arrangements for providing adult literacy courses. The VECs have the primary role in providing adult education, including literacy and community education. Adult literacy education is, therefore, part of the educational system.

Can the Minister advise when she anticipates that the final budgetary allocations for VECs will be fixed? I am surprised to learn she has not been made aware that the budget for adult literacy throughout the country, and for Dublin in particular — I am concerned with Coolock — expired in December 1987. They have no budgetary allocation currently and cannot be provided with funds until the VEC budget for 1988 is settled. I am advised that usually takes up to March, if not April, with the result that——

Please Deputy, let us have a precise question. The Deputy seems to be imparting more information than he is seeking.

I am sorry to do so but it appears the Minister has not been made aware of the situation. Since January all the workers in the adult literacy scheme are without wages and until the VEC make the allocation, they have no income.

I might have read my answer too quickly, but I said the vocational education committees are at present being informed — today and tomorrow — of their allocation for 1988. That answers the point raised by the Deputy. Admittedly the allocation was made on 6 April last year because there was a change of Government and the budget was being introduced. As I said, over the next few days, the vocational education committees will be informed of their allocations for 1988. The Deputy said he was referring to the city of Dublin. We have been in touch with the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee and they tell us it is not true that literacy teachers in their area are working without pay. These teachers do not start until late January. We told the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee on 29 January that they would get at least the same allocation as that given in 1987 for literacy and community education, and they have informed us that they have acted on this information. There is a letter on the way from the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee to school principals telling them of their provisional allocation for 1988.