Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 67: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for the future of the Offaly Vocational Education Committee building in Tullamore. [7086/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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In relation to the specific merger of Co. Laois VEC and Co. Offaly VEC, I have decided that the headquarters of the Education and Training Board will be in Portlaoise. In arriving at this decision, I considered a range of factors including the need to ensure that the location of a VEC headquarters will, to the greatest extent possible, facilitate staff redeployment under a redeployment scheme within the context of the Croke Park Agreement and the need to operate at lowest cost having regard to the accommodation available in existing locations.

Redeployment of staff from Tullamore to Portlaoise is possible under the Croke Park agreement and I expect that headquarters staff of Co Offaly VEC will move to the designated headquarters location in Portlaoise as soon as feasible. However I expect that the office in Tullamore 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. The detail in relation to the use or disposal of existing property interests in Tullamore, following the move of staff to the newly designated headquarters in Portlaoise, will be worked through by my Department in conjunction with the VECs involved and the new merged body when established.

I am anxious to ensure that swift progress continues to be made in the work of bringing about a reduction in the number of VECs. In this regard, while my decision in relation to the locations of head offices and sub-offices is final, 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. It 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.