| Louth VEC disappointed with amalgamation announcement |
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At its most recent meeting Co. Louth VEC expressed its considerable disappointment at the announcement last week by the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Ms. Mary Coughlan, T.D., of the Government’s intention to restructure the Vocational Education Committee system
As part of this restructuring, which is to see a reduction in the number of VECs from 33 to 16, Co. Louth VEC is to amalgamate with Co. Meath VEC.
Announcing the decision, the Tánaiste said, “this decision is part of the overall Government agenda to transform how our public services are delivered. This consolidation ensures that each of the new 16 VECs will be organisations of sufficient scale to support the evolution of local education service delivery and to meet future challenges”.
The VEC held a special meeting with local members of the Oireachtas when a merger of VECs was first suggested in the An Bord Snip Nua Report over twelve months ago. At its meeting last week Co. Louth VEC reiterated the position which it adopted following its special meeting to discuss the An Bord Snip Nua Report – the Committee’s view remains that a restructuring of Co. Louth VEC is not warranted; the Co. Louth VEC scheme is of a sufficient size, in the key areas of annual budget and staff and student numbers, that would allow it to continue to operate efficiently and effectively as a stand alone VEC. The committee is, however, open to working collaboratively with other VECs with a view to exploring areas where efficiencies can be achieved; it is the committee’s view that real efficiencies will not be achieved through the proposed merger.
Speaking at its most recent meeting, which was held just two days after the Minister’s announcement, Cllr. Oliver Tully, Chairman of Co. Louth VEC, said that “the current system operated by the VEC in Co. Louth was working extremely well and that the change proposed was driven solely by cost cutting factors rather than for the good of education, … this move would be regretted in time to come”.
Committee members Cllr. Anthony Donohoe said that “the Minister’s announcement of the proposed amalgamations does not clearly demonstrate how improvements can be achieved”, while Úna Kirk said that “an announcement had been made which was short on detail and now everybody involved in vocational education across the country finds itself operating in a vacuum”. She called on the Minister and her Department to bring clarity to the situation quickly.
In the Minister’s announcement, reference was made to the fact that the newly restructured VECs would be “better placed to provide support services to schools, and not just to schools within the VEC sector, but to other schools in their areas who wish to avail of them. In particular the VECs can engage in the aggregated procurement of supplies and services to the potential benefit of all schools in their areas”. The Tánaiste also highlighted the additional future role of VECs locally in the provision of primary education through Community National Schools.
While welcoming the additional functionalities that are to be attributed to the VEC sector, and respecting the good relations it continues to have with Co. Meath VEC, the committee remains opposed to the current proposal that it be amalgamated with a neighbouring VEC.
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