Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 April 2013
248. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding vocational education committee employees who are also members of local authorities being allowed to absent themselves from work in order to attend council meetings; the number of VEC employees that are members of local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20321/13]
View answerTeachers employed by Vocational Education Committees (VECs) who are also members of Public Bodies (i.e local authorities) are allowed up to a maximum of 10 days off each year to attend meetings of such bodies during school hours. The schools in which they teach are not entitled to claim a substitution payment in respect of the teacher's absence. Similar arrangements apply in the case of non-teaching staff. The Department does not hold information on the number of VEC employees that are members of local authorities. Officials from my Department have contacted each of the 33 VECs and I understand that VECs do not as a rule require staff to register their membership of a local authority. Accordingly, the Department is not in a position to provide the details requested as it would involve an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile.
