Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey, and commend him and the Tánaiste, Deputy Coughlan, for their commitment to education.

I should declare that for the past 23 years I have worked with the County Cavan Vocational Education Committee as a Youthreach co-ordinator. Prior to that, I received my second level education in Cavan vocational school. I am also a former member of County Cavan Vocational Education Committee.

My preference would have been to leave the VEC structure as it was. The 33 vocational education committees throughout the Twenty-six Counties have provided excellent educational opportunities for their client group since their inception in the early 1930s under the Vocational Education Act 1930.

Senator O'Reilly referred to my local VEC, County Cavan Vocational Education Committee, as did Senator McDonald, albeit in a different context. I am proud of it and the work it does. Some of those not familiar with the VEC system take the view that VECs merely manage a few schools and that further amalgamation of various county VECs is necessary. That view is wide of the mark. In County Cavan the VEC is responsible for four second level schools, Virginia College, Breifne College, St. Bricin's College and St. Mogue's College, which cater for more than 3,000 second level students. Cavan Institute in Cavan town, formerly known as the Cavan College of Further Studies, has an enrolment of more than 1,400 day students and 600 students attending night school. It could accommodate up to 2,500 day students with the appropriate teacher allocation and an application for an additional ten or 12 teaching posts was submitted to the Department. Unfortunately, while efforts in this regard both by me and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Smith, have not been successful, we continue to hope the Department will see the light and provide the additional teachers required to allow the institute to provide much needed further education for up to 1,000 additional day students.

The centres with which I am most familiar are the Youthreach training centres, of which there are three in County Cavan. I am proud that almost 1,000 young people have successfully passed through the Cavan town Youthreach centre since it became the first such centre to open its doors in the county almost 21 years ago. Cavan Youthreach does not only provide young people who have dropped out of the formal education system for one reason or another with a second chance. In many cases, these young people are given a first chance to obtain an educational qualification. A recent survey undertaken by staff at the centre found that more than 93% of the students who had passed through it were still in gainful employment. I am pleased Youthreach was able to offer a way forward to these young people who had been neglected by the formal education system.

The adult education section of County Cavan Vocational Education Committee provides night classes and some day classes for almost 5,000 people, while the VEC's youth service provides other valuable services for young people on a daily basis. It is easy to understand the reason people in County Cavan are proud of their VEC. Since his appointment in 2005, the current chief executive officer has dramatically changed the profile and services provided by it.

I concur with Senator O'Sullivan that since it was established in the 1930s, the vocational education system has provided class-free education free of charge. It has earned its reputation and in some places was obliged to earn it the hard way.

A departmental report entitled, Investing Effectively in Information and Communications Technology in Schools, made a number of recommendations, one being VECs should consider providing services outside their own systems. I understand Senator O'Reilly alluded to County Cavan Vocational Education Committee which, under the IT provision, has piloted a scheme under which it provides information technology backup for schools other than those within the VEC system in County Cavan at both secondary and primary levels. This indicates how progressive and far-seeing it is.

I wish to ask the Minister of State some questions, although I acknowledge some have been asked by colleagues. What will be the committee structure following the amalgamation of County Cavan and County Monaghan Vocational Education Committees? Incidentally, I welcome the amalgamation and look forward to our constituency colleagues in County Monaghan coming to work in the headquarters in Cavan. Will there be a particular number of representatives from each county? I seek the retention by local representatives of their positions on the amalgamated committees.

While I am sorry I did not hear Senator Doherty's contribution, I understand he alleged that Sinn Féin members were being kept off vocational education committees by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Labour Party. For his information and to set the record straight, in County Cavan two elected Sinn Féin members are active members of the VEC.

Moreover, community and staff representatives should retain their places on the amalgamated committees. While some committees interpret the phrase "staff representatives" to mean teachers, it encompasses all staff members employed by the VECs. In addition, parents' representatives should be retained on the committees.

As there will be more chief executive officers than VECs, how will this matter be decided? It is my desire that Mr. Colm McEvoy, chief executive officer of County Cavan Vocational Education Committee since 2005, will retain his position. What will happen to teachers' contracts? Teachers are employed by a particular VEC, but what will happen after amalgamation?

Senator Buttimer referred to grant applications which are being processed successfully by local VEC committees. It is easy to check the progress of an application at local level. What is proposed in respect of grant processing?

I hope the Minister of State will be in a position to answer my questions. I reiterate that it would have been preferable if the VECs had remained the same way, but that is not to be. It is to be welcomed, however, that there will be consultation on each step to be taken henceforth. As I am from Ulster, I defend the decision to retain a single VEC for County Donegal. As it is such a huge county, it is practical to do so with a single chief executive officer.