The funding and availability of adult education is to be examined by a group set up by the Government to develop policy on skills, manpower and education.
Among its tasks will be to investigate whether the abolition of fees for modular and part-time courses would increase the low level of participation by mature students in third-level education.
The examination will be undertaken by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, established in 1997 to address skill shortages. It has identified retraining and "upskilling" as essential to the growth of the economy.
The group chairman, Dr Daniel O'Hare, a former president of Dublin City University, said people in business and education had identified high fees as one "potential barrier" to people "upskilling" and retraining at third level.
He said the group would seek to find out if high fees were a barrier and would make a recommendation if they were.
He said other issues on adult education would be examined by the group, which is made up of members of State agencies and representatives from Government departments.
The Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Mr Willie O'Dea, who has responsibility for adult education, said he welcomed anything that removed the barriers to entry to third level for those in the workforce.
The group hopes to agree a work programme at a meeting later this month. While many adults undertaking evening classes or modular courses are often financed, or part-financed, by their employers, the cost of such courses can be prohibitive. IBEC has stated that multinationals can afford to fund their employees on such courses, but smaller firms often cannot.
The group has issued a report on skill shortages in the IT industry and is finalising a second report on the pharmaceutical, food and construction industries.
The Government is now implementing the recommendations of its first report. These involve a £75 million programme to create additional IT places at third level.
Separate from the work of the expert group, the Government is preparing a White Paper on Adult Education, which is expected to include measures aimed at encouraging people in the workforce to "upskill" and retrain.
The Points Commission recommended that 15 per cent (subsequently 25 per cent) of all third-level places be reserved for adults. This aims to address the Republic's rate of adult education participation, one of the lowest in Europe. This recommendation is being studied by the Government.
Aontas, the national organisation which promotes adult education, said fees should not be abolished for all students. Instead, the grants system should be extended to cover the costs of modular and evening courses.