Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 139: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the implications of her proposal to amalgamate a committee (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38678/10]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 158: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills when she will bring forward legislation to reduce the number of vocational education committees from 33 to 16; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39114/10]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 159: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she has decided the number of representatives on each vocational education committee once they have been rationalised from 33 to 16; if a net reduction on the number of committee members is envisaged under the reform; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39115/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 139, 158 and 159 together.

At this point the only firm and absolute decisions taken by the Government are to reduce the overall number of VECs from 33 to 16 and the merger of particular counties. My Department has commenced work on the preparation of legislation so that it can be brought forward in 2011. Many of the detailed aspects of the restructuring, including the location of the headquarters of the new VECs, the number of representatives on each VEC and the number of administrative staff which each of the new VEC entities will have, will fall to be considered and worked through by my Department in conjunction with the VECs involved in any one merger before decisions are taken.