Dealer wants 1080 to replace breather hoses, what are they?

[lurky]

hello
My 2007 boxster is curently at the dealer, I had it towed there, they are replacing the air/oil separator. They also claim that there are 3 leads that need to be fixed, 6k in total repairs.
I told them to just fix the A/O separator and I would drive it home and work on it myself or have local guys work on it. So now I get a text : unfortunately 2 breather hoses came apart because they were quite brittle. $1030 plut tax to replace.
I dont know what breather hoses are or what they do, but are the needed for the car to be drivable? Can I drive 1/2 hour home then have my mechanic replace those hoses too when they work on the leaks?

Thanks!