No savings from VEC cuts ‘for years’
In 2009, the Bord Snip Nua report claimed reducing the number of VECs from 33 to 22 could save €3m a year.
But the previous government cut them to 16, with the necessary legal changes expected to be passed in the first half of 2012.
Responding to questions from TDs and senators about the likely savings, Department of Education assistant secretary general Martin Hanevy said VECs would save almost €2m a year under a redeployment scheme for some of the chiefs executive of the 33 VECs.
But 11 of them in acting positions are not being paid chief-executive salaries and will return to their roles as education officers or principals when the mergers happen.
Up to six permanent chiefs executive will continue to be paid by taxpayers when they are redeployed in the education sector or the wider public service.
Education Minister Ruairí Quinn has said the merged VECs will be managed by the existing committees, which include more than 300 councillors, until the next local elections in 2014.
Mr Hanevy said the department is working to decide where the 16 new VECs headquarters will be.
VECs are already identifying administrative staff for redeployment elsewhere in the public service if they do not achieve targets for reductions through retirement or other natural waste.
The VECs to be merged were amended by Mr Quinn last month from those originally announced by his predecessor, Mary Coughlan, in October.
However, some of the changes have drawn anger locally, such as the decision to merge City of Cork and Cork County VECs.
Mr Hanevy said the previous minister had accepted the advice of officials that they be kept separate, but the other view had been that a merged body would offer a strong mix of the city VEC’s focus on further education with the general schools and other education services of the county VEC.
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