Ahern to ask Taoiseach to intervene in VEC cash crisis

THE vice-chairman of City of Dublin VEC is to ask his brother Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to intervene in a funding crisis which will restrict the number of women returning to education.

The 32 Vocational Education Committees (VECs) have had their grants to provide childcare for further education and training students cut by over one-third. This could lead to hundreds of women deciding against taking courses on the VTOS back-to-education programme, the Youthreach programme for early school leavers and the Senior Traveller Training programme.

The Department of Education provided a total of €4.7 million to VECs for childcare facilities for students on these programmes last year, including an initial allocation of €3 million.