Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I support Senator Power with respect to the Dublin ambulance service. Having had the pleasure or displeasure to travel in the back of ambulances run by both the health service and by the fire service, I have always been well looked after and I would be slow to change the existing system. I live where I live purely because it is close to St. Vincent's University Hospital should I need to go there in a hurry.

I wish to raise circular 18 of 2015 which was issued today. To my mind, it attempts to influence democracy with respect to the boards of education and training boards, ETBs. Section 3.17 of the circular states the selection of the chairperson is a matter for the board in accordance with the governing legislation. However, it is considered best practice that to maintain a clear division of responsibility between the running of the board and the day-to-day management and operation of the ETB, the chairperson should not be a member of staff of an ETB and-or a person connected to a member of staff of the ETB. Down through the years, in vocational education committees, VECs, throughout the country, staff members have contributed a huge amount to their boards. It is absolutely outrageous that somebody in the Department of Education and Skills would draft such a letter, attempting to influence a board and prevent it from appointing a member of staff of the ETB, namely, a teacher or administrative worker, to the position of chairperson. As we speak, there are two chairpersons of whom I am aware who are members of staff of an ETB and at least two more who are deputy chairpersons of an ETB. We need an urgent debate in this House to discuss who drafts such letters. I ask the Leader to take the issue on board.