Áine Collins (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Quinn, on bringing this Bill to the House and commend him on the work he has done to date. This Bill will provide for the establishment of the education and training boards which will replace the existing 33 vocational education committees. This reform process is part of the programme for Government. It promised to review and streamline State institutions to make them more effective and ensure they provide better value for money. Many organisations like the VECs are in need of this type of overhaul. The national circumstances and the educational requirements of citizens have changed drastically since the establishment of the VECs.

In establishing the education and training boards, the Bill gives the Minister the opportunity to reform and modernise their governance. It will remove outdated technology and clearly lay out the functions of the new boards. This will reflect the changes that have taken place in society and education generally. The Minister emphasises the new system to be established will strengthen locally managed education. It will enhance the scale of local education and training. The rationalisation represents a major component of the public service transformation agenda.

The composition of the new boards is a recognition by the Minister of the contribution made to the VECs by locally elected representatives. The proposal is that ten out of 18 members will be local authority representatives. It is equally important that the board will include two parent representatives and four members from bodies that represent community and business interests. This will underpin local democracy participation and will also provide valuable knowledge that outside organisations can bring to the board.

It should be remembered that this legislation only deals with the re-organisation of VECs. The Minister intends to initiate other legislation to provide for the new education and training authority to be known as SOLAS. This will provide for the dissolution of FÁS and the transfer of its training centres to the newly established ETBs. This will give more rationalisation and co-ordination in the whole sector, which is very welcome. Section 10 sets out the function of the education and training boards. It clearly demonstrates the intention of this Bill to rationalise and strengthen all the services.

There has been a lot of duplication, with each VEC having its own HR department, finance department and payroll department. Section 20 facilitates the ETBs in co-operating with each other in the performance of their duties. This section allows the Minister to direct ETBs to perform a function jointly. This process of rationalisation has begun with the establishment of one centre for processing and granting third level education grants. Until recently, each county council and VEC had departments doing this job separately. In current economic circumstances, we must achieve the most effective outcomes for what are now scarce resources. This Bill allows for this implementation. Co-operation and sharing of data between all State agencies must be the order of the day if we are to create an effective empowered public service. Accountability and transparency is a strong commitment in the programme for Government as well as effectiveness and this Bill has built in articles to ensure this happens. This Bill ticks many of the boxes. It rationalises services and saves money and is designed to produce more effectiveness which will produce better outcomes for Irish citizens. It provides mechanisms for transparency and openness. These are essential in the new type of governance being advanced by all members of this Government. I commend this Bill to the House.

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