Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 12: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the particular duties or work that will be assigned to offices that are designated as sub-offices with the proposed re-configuration of vocational education committees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34776/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I have decided to maintain a number of sub-offices where staff redeployment from the head office of an existing VEC to the head office of the relevant education and training board is precluded by the distance as provided for under the Croke Park agreement, which is 45 km. The chief executive officer of the new education and training board will be responsible for the deployment of staff of the board and must figure out how particular administrative functions are arranged between the head office and any sub-offices, having regard to the skills and experience of the staff concerned. The CEO is best placed to judge the optimum approach to service delivery. The establishment of SOLAS is also likely to have a bearing on the precise arrangements to be made.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister knows that I have been supportive of the general rationalisation of vocational education committees and the developments in further education.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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That is true.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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One issue that has arisen is security of employment. Where sub-offices have been established, the employees in the VECs are anxious to know if this is a short-term measure. When the time span of the Croke Park agreement is complete, will those employees be protected and remain in the newly established sub-offices? In some cases there is a large distance to be travelled to the newly reconfigured VEC. That is a cause of concern to employees at the moment.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I regret the delay in the process being put in place to identify and hire the 16 new CEOs who will head up the new local education and training boards. Their role is central. We have had some talks and I hope this matter will be completed as soon as possible. When those 16 new CEOs are in place, it will be up to them to drive the process. I know some Members were concerned or disappointed that there was no designated sub-office in their part of the constituency. The only reason to have a designated sub-office was to ensure that the arrangements we were bringing into place with these 16 new entities would comply with the terms and conditions of the Croke Park agreement. It is not an evaluation of the need for an educational office in a particular town or a particular part of the county. For example, by locating the new head office of the Louth and Meath local education and training board in Drogheda, the head offices in Dundalk and Navan were within the 45 km distance so there was no need to designate a sub-office, but in some of the other areas there is such a need.

This is being done purely for the purposes of implementing the rationalisation and integration of training boards in a manner that would make it compliant with the Croke Park agreement. It will be for the new CEO to decide what offices to maintain and operate across the territory of the new local education and training board.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Is the Minister considering any existing VEC headquarters for designation as a sub-office?

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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No, because I want the person charged with the responsibility of running the entire operation in an executive manner to make those choices. We do not have the expertise in the Department - I certainly do not - to be second guessing situations on the ground.