Coughlan to consider laws for filling VEC role

MINISTER for Education Mary Coughlan has confirmed she will consider introducing legislation to block political appointees taking up community posts on VECs.

The minister made her comments following a controversial vote on Co Cork VEC a few weeks ago, which resulted in a political appointee taking a post traditionally reserved for the Church of Ireland.

Tom Sheahan, a former Mayor of County Cork who lost his county council seat at the last local elections, was appointed to the VEC after the Fine Gael party backed him in a vote against the Church of Ireland representative Canon George Salter.