Skip to main content
Normal View

Vocational Education Committees Amalgamation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 January 2013

Wednesday, 16 January 2013

Questions (279)

John McGuinness

Question:

279. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills the arrangements if any that are in place to accommodate staff from Kilkenny Vocational Education Committee in their daily travel and subsistence arrangements to the new amalgamated service located in Carlow; if a redundancy package will be available for those who wish to opt out; if options such as transfers to local authorities or local revenue or other local Government offices will be considered; if amalgamation and its knock on impact on the lives of the employees having to comply have been considered; if discussions regarding options have been taken place with all concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1116/13]

View answer

Written answers

In October of 2011, I announced and published the headquarter locations where VECs are being merged as a result of the Government decision to reduce the number of VECs from 33 to 16. In relation to the specific merger of Co. Carlow VEC and Co. Kilkenny VEC as you know I have decided that the headquarters of the Education and Training Board will be in Carlow. Consultations with all of the stakeholders are underway in relation to the implementation of this Government decision. Redeployment of staff from Kilkenny to Carlow is possible under the terms of the Croke Park Agreement. However, I expect that the office in Kilkenny will remain open for some time and that the approach to redeployment will be measured and considered.

It will be a matter for the CEO of the new Education and Training Board to work through and judge what the best approach is to ensure the optimum approach to service delivery. The establishment of SOLAS is also likely to have a bearing on the precise arrangements to be made.

I want to make clear that my Department will not be forcing any one size fits all approach to staff deployment and office accommodation by the new Education and Training Boards. We will be receptive to any reasonable and sensible arrangements that are the best fit for the needs of the areas served by the new board.

Finally, I would like to inform the Deputy that at the present time there are no schemes for early retirement or voluntary redundancy open to VEC staff other than the Cost Neutral Early Retirement Scheme which was introduced in early 2005. The introduction of such schemes for the public service is a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in the first instance.

Top
Share