Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 December 2014
156. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the extended executive powers of chief executives of education and training boards; her further views on having so much power vested in one person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47435/14]
View answerSection 12 of the Education and Training Boards Act 2013, details the reserved functions of an Education and Training Board (ETB), to be performed by resolution of its members. Section 13 of the Education and Training Boards Act specifies that every function of an ETB that is not a reserved function shall be an executive function of the board and shall be performed by the Chief Executive of that board.
The division of ETB functions into reserved and executive mirrors the approach previously set out in the Vocational Education (Amendment) Act 2001.
I believe that the provisions of the ETB Act 2013 strike a reasonable balance between those functions to be performed by the board and those to be performed by the Chief Executive.
The Deputy should note that section 15(1) of the ETB act specifies that the Chief Executive of an ETB shall perform the executive functions of the board and section 15(4) provides that a Chief Executive of an ETB shall be accountable to the board for the due performance of his or her functions.
