Number of VECs to be cut
The number of Vocational Education Committees (VECs) is to be cut from 33 to 16 through the merger of existing VECs, it was announced today.
Announcing a restructuring of the VEC system, Education Minister Mary Coughlan said the decision was “part of the overall Government agenda to transform how our public services are delivered”.
“This consolidation ensures that each of the 16 VECs will be organisations of sufficient scale to support the evolution of local education service delivery and to meet future challenges,” the Tánaiste said.
Further legislation will now be brought forward to provide for the changes and the Department of Education and Skills will be consulting with the relevant stakeholders in relation to their detailed implementation.
The move was described as “regrettable, but reluctantly accepted” by the Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA).
“The proposed multi-county VECs will break the link between the local authority and the county-based VEC,” said IVEA General Secretary Michael Moriarty.
“For the first time in 80 years, some individual counties will no longer have their own Vocational Education Committee. The cornerstone of the VECs’ success to date has been their deep-rooted local engagement in terms of services and supports.”
“While reluctantly accepting the decision on VEC amalgamations, IVEA will be asking the Minister to follow through on her commitment to strengthen the vocational sector, and the new VEC entities, as key providers of education support services.
“Hopefully at the end of the negotiation process, the vision for the vocational sector will be clearer.”
Co. Dublin and Dun Laoghaire
City of Dublin
City of Galway and Co. Galway
City of Cork
Co. Cork
City of Limerick, Co. Limerick and Co. Kerry
City of Waterford, Co. Waterford and Tipperary South Riding
Donegal
Wexford and Wicklow
Carlow, Kilkenny and Kildare
Laois, Offaly and Westmeath
Louth and Meath
Cavan and Monaghan
Mayo and Sligo
Leitrim, Roscommon and Longford
Clare and Tipperary North Riding
