Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish to address the Kildare and Wicklow ETB. I am not being facetious in this, but it goes without saying that it will probably have to keep an eye on legal fees going forward.

I appreciate that both chairs have said that there is a learning process in the role around the boards and always trying to improve. I appreciate those comments. I think they are very welcome. Obviously as part of this process we will be writing up a report, and we will send it to the Department of Education and Skills and to all ETBs. We will expect the witnesses to take due cognisance of what we say in this, the only constitutionally mandated, committee in the country.

To save time, I will ask for a written response to these questions, or we will be here all night. I request that both ETBs outline the financial savings that they feel have been made yearly since 2013 because of the amalgamation, in total rather than in individual areas. By the way, if witnesses feel that the merger has in essence cost money, by all means they should say that as well.

I have already brought up the issue of expenses, so I will not repeat that. My colleague, Deputy MacSharry, has asked about that and I have expanded on it.

I also request that the witnesses outline in writing what their key performance indicators are, how they manage them and how long they have been in place for. I presume they have been in place for years. Next, I would like the witnesses to confirm that all staff, from the level of school principal and higher executive officer rank upwards, receive induction training and corporate governance training. I would like an outline of how that happens. I presume they do receive training and it is at the appropriate level because nowadays there is a governance responsibility at all levels.

I have a few specific questions, and then one comment to my colleagues in Tipperary. How many jobs were advertised externally in recent years? Why were they advertised externally as opposed to internally, or is it the case that they were advertised internally and there were not enough quality candidates?