Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

First, on the issue raised by a number of members and the witnesses, I am aware that some teachers in the VEC sector might be qualified to teach in VEC second level schools but do not have the qualifications to move to second level, which hinders their prospects of mobility within education. The dilemma is that they could go back to full-time study but if they have families that is not feasible. In terms of helping TUI members get their educational qualifications to teach up to the highest level, is the TUI working on ensuring that teachers can do that and work at the same time to allow them get the extra qualifications they need?

Second, regarding the issues the witnesses have raised about contracts and so on, is that a matter for the legislation or for parallel negotiations? They might explain that.

Third, an element of the debate is about representation on the board, with which, as a person who is elected, I am not happy. The VECs had strong representation by local authority members. Local authority members are elected by voters and in local elections every resident can vote. They do not even have to have citizenship and therefore the electorate in local elections is spread among the population. Councillors are elected and they represent local communities. It would be inappropriate to diminish such representation - which is representation in the elected sense as opposed to carving out seats - in the new legislation, compared to the representation that applied in respect of the old VECs. The witnesses might have a different view, but that is my position on it. They might respond to those points.