The Government's failure to sanction funding for the further education sector and its delay in implementing agreed structures has been criticised by the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI).
The further education sector, seen as the main provider of "second-chance education" to those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those returning to work, is being ignored by the Government, according to the TUI.
Yesterday, it demanded that Minister for Education Mary Hanafin make urgent representation to the Department of Finance on the importance of providing €45 million for 30,000 post-Leaving Cert students in Ireland.
The recent omission of the further education sector from the Budget Estimates followed what the TUI said was an "an agreement in principle" with the Department of Education to provide the funding as outlined in the 2003 McIver report.
TUI president Paddy Healy said Ireland remained unique among its European neighbours in not having a distinct further education sector which provided for basic necessities such as libraries, study areas, canteens and student unions.
The Irish Vocational Education Association general secretary Michael Moriarty said further education must not remain the "Cinderella" of the Irish education system.