Cork VEC demands meeting with Kenny
The proposals to amalgamate VECs throughout the country was announced last week by Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn, who wants to reduce the number of committees from 33 to 16.
This will result in a significant number of 300-plus city, county and town councillors losing their places on the new committees after the 2014 local elections.
Cork County VEC chairman Cllr Gerry Kelly, claimed there had been a “total absence of communication (to his VEC) from either the minister or his department regarding this decision.”
The Fine Gael councillor said the committee was seeking meetings with the Taoiseach Mr Kenny, Mr Quinn and Cork-based TDs “to highlight the implications for the access and delivery of quality education to all learners across the county of Cork from Castletownbere to Youghal to Charleville”.
Cork County VEC, which has an annual budget of €96 million, manages 22 second-level schools in the region which are attended by more 10,000 students.
The organisation also operates seven outreach centres and provides adult and further education for over 10,000 mature learners at varying levels from basic education to FETAC level 6.
Cllr Kelly said in addition, his VEC also acts as co-trustee to seven community and comprehensive schools across the county.
“Elected members (of the county VEC) including nominees of parents, staff and co-trustees were shocked that smaller VEC schemes (like Kerry) were left ‘stand alone’ despite operating on a budget less than half the size of that of CCVEC,” he said.
