asked the Minister for Education when he intends to reform Limerick city vocational education committee.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Limerick City Vocational Committee.
79.
I intend to reconstitute the city of Limerick Vocational Education Committee in due course. Towards this end, it will be necessary to introduce amending legislation and this matter is at present receiving attention in my Department.
What does the Minister mean by "due course"? This question has been repeated here over a number of years and we get the same old answer every day. In view of the disquiet and unrest and the criticism that has been levelled at this one-man committee by responsible bodies in Limerick, would the Minister now try to drag this alleged one-man committee out of the mess it is in and which, as a result of its actions, has deprived the children of Limerick of a proper technical and vocational education?
The mess was first created by Deputy Coughlan.
The mess was created by the Minister's Department and nobody else.
It was created by the Limerick Vocational Committee——
I was not a member of the committee then, and if I had been a member the ruthless things that have been done since then would not have been done by the Minister's Party. That is the cause of the dissolution of the committee.
Question No. 80.
I want an answer from the Minister. What does he mean by saying he intends to reconstitute it "in due course"? When does he propose to take action?
A very important tribunal met and decided on the fate of the Limerick Vocational Committee and Deputy Coughlan and his friends know the reason why it was not reestablished. The decision having been made, we now have to rectify the matter, I agree.
We have not a committee of education. We have one man from the Department of Education who comes to Limerick one day a month and signs documents and he is the committee. We, the taxpayers, who are responsible for vocational education in Limerick have no say good, bad or indifferent in this matter.
I can assure Deputy Coughlan that I have looked into this very thoroughly and I am satisfied that as far as the affairs of vocational education in Limerick are concerned they were never better looked after.
Does the Minister say there should be a one-man committee?
What I meant in this respect was that the last committee had very undesirable features, as was borne out in the report of the tribunal.
Did Fianna Fáil not control the last committee?
Order.
I am not satisfied. We, the taxpayers and the ratepayers, are subscribing handsomely for technical and vocational education in the city. There should be no taxation without representation and we must be represented. I will organise a complete boycott of vocational education in Limerick——
The Deputy will ask a question; we cannot have an argument.
When will the Minister organise a committee? I want a stated date. This is no joke. If the Minister's children were going there and had to put up with what the boys and girls of Limerick have to put up with, the Minister would be the first to kick up a row. When is the Minister going to form a committee?
This will require legislation and it will take, say, six months.
I will have you on the carpet in six months, if you are here at that time.