Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 168: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria that was used in deciding the vocational educational committees to be amalgamated and the VECs that were to stand alone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20836/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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At the core of the proposed restructuring is the need to address the current low scale and size of operations in particular VECs in order to position the sector for future development. In this regard, the previous Government decided on a reduction to 16 new entities.

On entering office, I invited the Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA) to submit alternative rationalisation proposals following their expression of concerns regarding the configuration of the revised entities decided by the previous Government. The IVEA subsequently submitted a proposal that involved 20 new entities.

I am satisfied that having regard to cost and critical mass considerations, a reduction to 16 new entities is appropriate. Consequently, while the new configuration takes account of the IVEA submission to the greatest extent possible, it does not modify the reduction from 33 to 16 in the number of VECs decided by the previous Government.

In this new configuration, eleven of the new entities match the IVEA proposal. In addition, the IVEA proposals to merge City of Galway VEC with Co. Galway VEC, Co. Sligo VEC with Co. Leitrim VEC and City of Waterford VEC with Co. Waterford VEC have also been reflected, albeit with the inclusion an additional county in each case.

Only three of the existing entities will continue, City of Dublin on the basis of overall scale; and Co. Donegal and Co. Kerry on the basis of their peripheral geographic location.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 169: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the communication and consultation he entered into with Cork County Vocational Educational Committee before and after making his decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20837/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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In July 2009, the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes recommended that the number of VECs could be reduced from 33 to 22 and aligned with the functional areas of the 22 Local Authorities, also recommended by the Group. In September 2009 the then Minister for Education and Science invited interested parties to make written submission in relation to a reduction in the number of VECs.

Arising from this process, the previous Government decided in October 2010 to reduce the overall number of VECs from 33 to 16 and agreed on the merger of particular counties.

In January 2011, my Department sought suggestions or observations from all VECs in relation to the title for the sector generally, the title by which the 16 individual VECs which had been decided on by the previous Government should be known, the headquarter location for each of these entities and the future composition of the Committee in each VEC.

Following my appointment as Minister, I invited the Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA), the representative association for all of the VECs to submit alternative rationalisation proposals for my consideration. I did not issue an invitation to individual VECs, such as County Cork VEC, to make a submission. Following consideration of proposals received from the IVEA, the Government decided to revise the configuration agreed by the previous Government and to approve the consolidation of the existing VEC legislation. These are the only decisions that have been taken.

The Government decision to merge City of Cork and County Cork VECs aligns the position in Cork with planned for Limerick, Waterford and Galway.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 170: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the implications of the amalgamation of the vocational educational committees for the trusteeship of designated community colleges in the Cork County VEC area; and if the other co-trustees have been informed; if the new model agreements will have to be signed and agreed by the co-trustees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20838/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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As a general principle I am anxious to ensure that the process of amalgamating Vocational Education Committees is done in a manner that is not disruptive in any way to the provision of existing services and provision by individual VECs.

My officials are working on the preparation of new legislation needed to bring the changes about. It is the norm in such legislation to provide for the continuation of all existing agreements and contracts which should embrace the agreements that were concluded when certain Community Colleges were established.