Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 618: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of vocational educational committee offices currently in operation here; the remit of these offices; the population covered by each office; the staffing levels in each office; the payroll costs associated with this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34330/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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There are 33 VECs established under the Vocational Education Acts, 1930 to 2001. Each VEC has its own corporate status. As statutory bodies their functions are as defined in their governing legislation.

In general, VEC boundaries correspond to the County/City Councils and the population covered is that of the county/city area. VECs provide a broad range of educational services. In addition to providing post-primary education, further and adult education, VECs also have responsibilities in areas such as community education, training for early school leavers, basic literacy courses, traveller education, the provision of youth services etc. Staffing resources are allocated by my Department towards the delivery of the educational and other programmes referred to above.

The other information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department and would involve an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile.