O’Keeffe hints at more cuts to services

FURTHER cuts to education services look likely after next month’s budget as Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe hinted there would be little or no increases in spending.

He also stressed the need for greater efficiency from public bodies like Vocational Education Committees and possibly centralising the payment of their 8,000 school teachers into his department.

He was speaking at the annual congress of the Irish Vocational Education Association representing the 33 VECs which manage second level schools, further education colleges, adult education programmes and youth work services.