Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I asked about the criteria and the process undertaken to enable the ETB to move the VTOS posts from Tallaght to Balbriggan. Nobody doubts Balbriggan is in dire need of additional training places and these VTOS places will be welcomed by the community. However, it does not make sense to take them from a community such as Tallaght. The Minister of State knows Tallaght as well as any other Member and he will be aware of the educational disadvantage in the community. Training places play a vital role in helping individuals. It is not good enough to transfer places from a community that badly needs them - if anything, it probably needs more - to another community that is also in need. We need clear criteria and a clear, accountable process, which can be examined openly and transparently in order that people can find out exactly on what basis this decision was made. Nobody knows why places were moved from an area in which they are badly needed to another area under the auspices of the ETB.

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