The current educational and training system in the Republic of Ireland is based on the classic economic model of educational planning. The Department of Education administers primary, secondary, and vocational education. Universities are controlled by the Higher Education Authority. The three levels of education are primary schools; secondary and vocational schools; and regional technical colleges, the National Institutes of Higher Education, and universities. Training is the responsibility of the Industrial Training Authority and the Council for Education, Recruitment, and Training. Ireland has aggressively used education for economic ends. Unemployment problems are linked to shortages of labor requiring third-level qualifications and apprenticeships, youth unemployment, and attitudes against industrial employment. Issues confronting Irish education include external funding sources, the population growth, poor attitudes toward technical education, academic escalation, the religious influence, centralization versus decentralization, and staff development. Included in the document are descriptions of the work of the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee; middle, third-level vocational education and training at Galway Regional Technical College; and academic third-level vocational education at the National Institute for Higher Education (NIHEL), Limerick. Appendixes include information on NIHEL courses, programs, and the module credit system. (YLB)