Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 461: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of Vocational Education Committee employees, including full time, temporary and casual workers, currently employed; if any of the VEC workforce has been reduced over the past 12 months; if there were additional jobs to be filled or vacant positions; the number of these positions that have been left vacant; if VECs have laid off employees during that period; if so, the amount of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8832/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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VECs employ and pay their own staff and, accordingly, my Department does not have available to it a breakdown of the numbers of staff in the categories requested by the Deputy. VECs recruit their own staff, within approved limits.

The Deputy will be aware that all departments and state agencies must reduce their payroll bill in 2009 in line with the requirements set by the Government. In the case of the VECs this measure applies to administrative and maintenance staff funded from the VEC general and post-primary pay allocation. It is a matter for each VEC to determine how the required reduction is to be achieved within its own scheme. VECs will be reporting to my Department progress towards the achievement of the required reduction in the coming months.