Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 31 Jan 1991

Vol. 404 No. 5

Written Answers. - VEC Grants.

Alan M. Dukes

Ceist:

80 Mr. Dukes asked the Minister for Education the way in which (a) the grant to each Vocational Education Committee under Subhead F of Vote No. 28 for 1991 is decided, (b) the grant to each Vocational Education Committee under Subhead H of Vote No. 28 for 1991 is decided, (c) the grant to each relevant Vocational Education Committee under Subhead C of Vote No. 29 for 1991 is decided, (d) the grant to each Vocational Education Committee under Subhead A 5 of Vote No. 29 for 1991 is decided, and (e) the grant to each relevant Vocational Education Committee under Subhead 1.1 of Vote No. 29 for 1991 is decided; whether all of these grants are determined on an equal basis as between Vocational Education Committees; the amount of the grants under Subhead F of Vote No. 28 and Subhead C of Vote No. 29 which are allocated for (1) teachers' salaries, (2) administration and (3) teaching materials and equipment.

Minister for Education (Mrs. O'Rourke)

(a) The grant to each vocational education committee under subhead F of Vote No. 28 for 1991 is at present being calculated. The grant allocations will be based on the following criteria: (i) provision in the Department's Estimates; (ii) VECs' estimates; (iii) 1990 VECs' outturn; (iv) pupil numbers; (v) approved staff numbers; (vi) speical circumstances, etc.

(b) The grants paid under this subhead are based on pupil enrolments.

(c) The grant paid under this subhead is calculated according to the same criteria as for (a) above.

(d) The grant paid to VECs under this subhead are in respect of: (1) VEC Third-Level Scholarships; (2) ESF Training Grants. Funds are provided to each VEC on the basis of the number of eligible applicants and the rate of grant or scholarship entitlement.

(e) The estimate for the VEC third-level capital building programme is prepared having regard to existing commitments, and programmes of building planned over a period of years.

The grants allocated under (a) and (c) above indicate the funds available in respect of (1) teachers' salaries and (2) administration, pay, etc. However, a separate provision is not directly made for teaching materials and equipment. Provision is made for these under a general Non-Pay heading. The 1991 grants for vocational education committees are being calculated at present and will be notified to the vocational education committees at the earliest possible date.

My Department is at present carrying out a study to determine the unit costs in primary and in the different sectors of post-primary education. In addition, discussions are shortly to be held with chief executive officers of vocational education committees in regard to their providing financial data to the Department by reference to the costs associated with individual programmes.

These initiatives are designed to ensure that grants to committees will be based on equitable norms and criteria and will fully reflect the variety of educational provision being made by individual vocational education committees.