Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 February 2012
13Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Education and Skills the timeframe for the 800 FÁS staff who are transferring to the vocational educational committee sector; the composition of the board of SOLAS; and if there will be union representation for employees. [10033/12]
View answerFollowing the Government decision in July 2011 to establish SOLAS, an implementation group was put in place to oversee the process. This group includes representatives from FÁS, the further education sector, as well as from the Departments of Education and Skills and Social Protection.
Given the complex elements involved, including appropriate legislation to establish SOLAS and legislation providing for the establishment of education and training boards to replace the vocational education committees, VECs, it is not possible to give a precise timeframe for the transfer of staff. This will have to be considered carefully by the implementation group in the context of all the elements involved, including the need to ensure continuity of provision of further education and training places.
The composition of the board of SOLAS, the question of staff representation and other related matters will be considered as part of the ongoing implementation process. As part of this work, a consultation process is being undertaken with all relevant stakeholders, which amount to more than 150. It is envisaged there will be appropriate consultations with staff representatives on staff transfers.
The key role of SOLAS concerns policy, strategy and funding adult and further education and training. For these reasons, it is vital the entity have the skills and expertise necessary to execute these functions. The skills and expertise must be drawn from the VEC and FÁS sectors if it is to be effective. Therefore, it would be wise for the board of SOLAS to provide for equal representation for the VECs and FÁS, with the executive of SOLAS being staffed on a ratio of 50:50 by personnel from the VECs and FÁS. Will the Minister of State confirm that the 200 staff employed at FÁS head office will be transferred to SOLAS?
What we are involved in is the most far-reaching and fundamental reform of the further education and training sector the country has seen. It is a gargantuan task in change management that requires the co-operation, willingness and enthusiasm of everybody involved in further education and training. As chairman of the implementation group since last July, these are forthcoming. We have representatives from the Irish Vocational Education Association, IVEA, at the table of the SOLAS implementation group. We also have representatives from FÁS. There is enthusiasm, energy, ambition and a willingness to provide the very best further education and training the country can provide and to put in place a system over which we can all stand and of which we can be proud.
It is far too early to say 200 staff from FÁS will be transferring to SOLAS. We will look at the resources available throughout the VEC sector and in FÁS and the constituent parts throughout the country to extract everything we need to put in place a world-class further education and training system. We do not want to be too dogmatic or in any way prescriptive at this time.
The implementation process is ongoing. I have asked for the opinions of more than 150 stakeholders on how we should make things happen. They have submitted written contributions and at the end of next month we will bring them all together under one roof for what I hope will be a lively half-day conversation on how we can make SOLAS happen. Any negativity or paranoia about the issues involved will be addressed in sitting down and speaking to one another and allowing everybody to understand that we are all setting out with the same ambition to achieve the same goal.
The so-called negativity and paranoia, as described by the Minister of State, are down to uncertainty and the absence of a timeframe. The Minister of State needs to put in place a timeframe and set out the parameters for when he hopes to have the process completed. I fully understand he must seek the views of all stakeholders and that this is the proper way to do it. However, he needs to put in place a system or structure, whereby the process can continue for only so long. At the end of that timeframe he needs to make it clear that he intends to put it all together.
The Deputy is correct. We do need to have a definitive timeline to eliminate any misunderstanding or misinformation. The SOLAS implementation group has achieved a great deal in the very short time it has been in existence. On a paper basis, we have piloted the amalgamation of FÁS and the VECs in Cork and Dublin which has thrown up some very interesting results, some of them positive. The legislation to bring SOLAS and the educational and training boards into being should pass through both Houses of the Oireachtas in record time by the end of the year. SOLAS should come into existence early next year. I am very confident that when the process is complete, everybody who works in the further education and training sector will be very proud of what will have been achieved.
Written Answers follow Adjournment.
The Dáil adjourned at 5.45 p.m. until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 28 February 2012.
