(Wexford): Last night a number of Deputies mentioned the lack of public representation on these new boards. The political parties on all sides of the House regard it as a major issue. Over the last two days a number of Deputies expressed serious concern as to whether there will be adequate and appropriate representation on the boards. It is an issue which needs to be addressed seriously.
There has been some strong criticism of the role of public representatives on vocational education committees down through the years. I was a member of a vocational education committee in Wexford for many years. I always found that the public representatives on the board made a valuable contribution to the educational structures in the county, as I am sure they have done on every vocational education committee around the country.
Regional boards do not work. If one looks at the health board structures one finds that many counties are not benefiting much from the regional structures. I am concerned that the same thing will happen under the educational regional boards. The number of counties tied to each board is too large and it will remove the localised role whereby the parent, the teacher and the members of the vocational education committees can meet, discuss and talk frankly about problems they may envisage in education in their county. A regional board will be based in some central point and it will be very difficult to gain access or to make direct contact with the people involved.
The vocational education structures at present are more than adequate to meet the needs of the changing structures in education. It is important that parents, teachers, FÁS and others are represented on the vocational education committees, a number of vocational education committees have moved in that direction already. In Wexford there are both parent and teacher representatives on the vocational education committee. Education can progress only if all the areas of education are represented on the vocational education committee. They should be allowed to continue to play the valuable role they played in the past.
There is a suggestion in the Minister's speech that some of the vocational education committee structures may be abolished and the town of Wexford vocational education committee is often mentioned. The Minister of State, Deputy Doyle, is very much aware of the important role the town of Wexford Vocational Education Committee plays in the education system in Wexford town. They have had some magnificent results with students. A new school was built there last year because of the strong representations made by the town of Wexford vocational education committee and by the county's public representative. It would be a major blunder to see that vocational education committee structure abolished in any rationalisation or change envisaged by the Minister.
The town of Wexford vocational education committee, which has been in place for 60 years, has made a magnificent contribution to educational development in Wexford town. The late Dick Corish and the late Dr. Jim Ryan were to the forefront in ensuring that when the vocational education committees were established the town of Wexford had its own vocational education committee structure. We all know the valuable contribution made by the late Dick Corish and the late Dr. Jim Ryan to Wexford generally. It would be ironic if a Labour Minister was to introduce proposals to abolish the town of Wexford vocational education committee which provides many different types of education beyond the junior or leaving certificate studies. It provides outreach courses from Waterford regional technical college and is involved in adult education and evening courses. Great credit is due to the principal of that school and to the committee for the many different facets of education being provided for the people of Wexford town. It is very important that the present structure of the town of Wexford vocational education committee is maintained, maybe with the addition of some parents, teachers or people from FÁS. It would not be right to abolish it. I ask Deputies Howlin, Yates and Doyle, who I know have a keen interest in the town of Wexford vocational education committee, to use their influence to ensure that this vocational education committee is maintained for the betterment of the students, teachers and the parents of Wexford.