Mr. Declan Glynn:

I take the Chairman's point. We do not detract at all from the merit of representation that is offered by local authority members. We are not impugning it in any fashion. Our point is that in tandem with that, there should be dedicated teacher representation on boards because that constitutes a core professional and practitioner expertise that is being lost and is not being catered for specifically. While not everyone might agree, we think it a straightforward matter that teachers and other staff of ETBs would have the professional practitioner expertise that would enhance the composition and role of VECs, while not taking at all from the vital contribution that local authority members make. Moreover, we support strongly the representation of adult students, including further education adult students, and adult learners generally on the VEC.