asked the Minister for Education if he will make a statement on the talks which have been held on regionalisation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Regionalisation Talks.
64.
Mr. R. Burke
It was the unanimous opinion of the delegates present at the meeting held on 3rd October, 1973, in the Department of Education in relation to regionalisation that the proceedings of the meeting should be regarded as confidential at this stage. It would not, therefore, be appropriate for me to make a statement in relation to the talks at this time.
Did these talks take place on the basis of the first or the second document issued by the Minister?
Mr. R. Burke
There seems to be a misunderstanding about this because I issued only one document. This was published, I believe, on 25th July this year. It is popularly known in educational circles as "Document No. 2" but, in fact, it is my published document.
Is the Minister telling the House that there is a document No. 2 without there being a document No. 1?
Mr. R. Burke
A number of drafts were put to me. The one I published is the one which is being discussed at the moment.
Is the Minister aware that an educational magazine published what purported to be a document from the Minister's Department and that when I sought the document from the Minister's Department I could not get it?
Mr. R. Burke
The answer to the first question is that I am so aware and the answer to the second question is that I am not so aware.
I should like to ask the Minister, in so far as these discussions and his ultimate intentions are concerned, whether he would not go about the matter in a proper way and give adequate time and facilities to the various committees throughout the country to discuss any or all of the proposals which he has in mind in order to get their views before he further discusses it with the IVEA?
Mr. R. Burke
If I understand the Deputy correctly he is disturbed about the fact that the draft for discussion was not circulated to all the vocational education authorities. I understand that the document was so delivered.
From 20th to 24th September and the views had to be back by 29th September and the Minister was receiving a deputation some days later to discuss the matter. That is the sort of time that was given to the committees and it was totally inadequate and useless.
Mr. R. Burke
Whatever document emerges from the working party set up as a result of the second meeting on regionalisation will be submitted in due course to the VECs through the country for their full consideration. I can assure the Deputy that I will see to it that the time factor is increased to give ample time. I should like also to mention to the Deputy that the vocational education committees are represented on this working party.
Would the Minister indicate the grounds and the reasons he has to justify regionalisation before he starts hare-chasing around? If it is not worth doing it, there is no point in trying to find ways to do it.
Mr. R. Burke
Deputy Blaney and other Deputies will be aware of the fact that this Government are committed to consultations with the widest spectrum of the educational field as we can manage and it is in this context that I have invited the 17 bodies making up this working party to add their views to the document.
The Minister is surely aware that he is talking with his tongue very much in his cheek because the document that was circulated is not the basis on which these discussions, which were very confidential, took place.
Mr. R. Burke
The discussions which took place, and I was only there for part of the second meeting, took place on the basis of the document. It is my duty as Minister to make some policy initiatives and I made one in regard to regionalisation. I take it that the chairman of the County Donegal Vocational Education Committee who has experience of regionalisation in this sense would be behind me fully in this.
Not until the case has been proved.
Will the Minister send me, as an interested party, a copy of the results of the discussions?
Mr. R. Burke
Following the debate so far on the Estimate for my Department, I understand many Fianna Fáil Deputies are pushing the idea that I have done nothing on my own initiative in the Department since I took office. This is an innovation I do not think I should introduce at this stage in view of what the Deputies have said about me in the course of the debate so far.