Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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55. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria used by education training boards when moving VTOS positions to different parts of the county, with particular reference to a move of a number of positions from Tallaght to Balbriggan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29673/14]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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VTOS places are alocated to education and training boards ,ETBs, and further distribution of these places to areas under their remit is a matter for each ETB.

The movement of VTOS places from Tallaght to Balbriggan was a decision taken by Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB. I understand that this followed the amalgamation of the former Dublin and Dún Laoghaire vocational educational committees and the merger of the former FÁS services, which led to a review of the provision of its adult education services.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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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.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The Deputies will recall that during the formation of the legislation underpinning the ETB structure, we all concluded it was an excellent idea to confer on ETBs complete autonomy in distributing and allocating resources within their respective regions. Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB has sanction for 150 VTOS places to distribute as best it can across its region of responsibility.

Very early in its life, the new ETB carried out a review that found that while Tallaght had 120 places, Balbriggan, a rapidly growing area with almost equally high unemployment, had only 20. The ETB, taking account of the movement of the former FÁS training centre in Tallaght, decided to move those 20 places from Tallaght to Balbriggan, leaving Tallaght with 100 and Balbriggan with 40. This involved the closure of St. Dominic's VTOS centre, which had 40 places, and its remaining 20 places were transferred to Tallaght town centre. As I said earlier, the Department has no function or responsibility for the allocation of places within the ETBs, each of which is completely autonomous and independent. Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB made the decision and we must and should respect it.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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I understand that the ETBs have full control over where they allocate the places. The Minister has outlined to some degree the rationale behind the decision. Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB has 150 VTOS places because that is the number it can afford to fund. It is unacceptable that the Minister has taken 20 places from a community such as Tallaght, which has major disadvantage, high rates of school dropouts and unemployment, and transferred them to another community. Balbriggan's need is as great as that of Tallaght. Additional funding is needed to provide additional VTOS places. It is unfair and incorrect to rob Peter to pay Paul. We are taking from one community in need and giving to another. It is all down to funding and resources. While I have no issue with the fact that the ETB must work with the resources it has, we need additional resources to provide additional places.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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While I agree that we need additional resources, we do not have them. As our country's economic recovery gets under way we will, hopefully, have those additional resources and be able to pass them on to our ETB structure across the country. For the moment, within the resources available to us and to Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB, we must trust the ETB and respect its autonomy and independence in making this decision. The ETB very carefully considered the need for VTOS places across its whole region of responsibility and determined that leaving Tallaght with 100 places and Balbriggan with 40 was the fairest and most effective outcome given the resources available.