Published: Thursday, 28th January, 2010 5:00pm

Re-organisation of VECs on the way

by Sean McMahon

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Minister for Education to deal with gender balance issue in new legislation

Back (from left): Cllr. Val Smith; Cllr. Pauline McCauley; Jacqui Lewis, parents rep; Rory Moore, HR and Student Support; Cllr. Paddy O'Reilly; Cllr. David Blake; Cllr. Terry Argue; Cllr. Sean McKiernan; Mary Brady, community rep; Niall Lynch, teachers rep; Freddie Kettyle, community rep; Cllr. Peter McVitty; Des Crossan, community rep; Tony Farrelly, parents rep; Mona Fitzpatrick and Cllr. Brian McKeown; front, Cllr. Patricia Walsh; Marie Traynor, Corporate Affairs; Colm McEvoy, CEO; Madeleine Argue, chairperson; Cllr. Shane P. O'Reilly; Fiona Maloney, AEO; and Niamh Smyth, community rep. Photo: Adrian Donohoe

News about the controversial re-organisation of VEC's is set to emerge in the near future as the Minister for Education unveils his detailed proposals.

This was revealed at the first meeting of the full newly appointed VEC committee last week.

The CEO Colm McEvoy said the VEC received a letter from the Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe regarding the issue of 'gender balance on VECs' and the fact that he intends to bring proposals to Government regarding the re-organisation of VECs in the near future.

The statutory instrument currently containing the stipulations in relation to gender balance will be considered in the context of the Minister's proposals.

It has been mooted that Cavan VEC could be merged with Longford and Leitrim as part of the restructuring.

Reduction in grants

When the CEO Colm McEvoy was outlining how many grant applications they had processed, he revealed that the cut of five per cent in student grants had come into effect from January 1 as a result of the budgetary changes.

Mr. McEvoy said there had been 853 applicants and they had all been dealt with. Decisions had been made in respect of 767. Any application where a decision was not yet made was down to the applicant due to incomplete or outstanding data.

He revealed that the Department of Education had sent out a letter requesting this data and urging that grants were paid as promptly as possible. "We never have any problem in relation to that matter, because they are always dealt with very fast."

Mr. McEvoy also pointed out that anyone who had been receiving the back to education allowance as part of VTOS, will no longer be eligible for the student support grant.

Rory O'Moore pointed out that students can be on VTOS and still retain the Social Welfare Back to Education scheme. However, from the start of September of this year new students will not be able to avail of both the student grant and the back to education allowance. They will have to make a choice.

Cllr. Pauline McCauley (SF) said that was a totally retrograde step and does nothing to encourage people on long term social welfare to go back to education and endeavour to find an alternative career. The government should be putting money into getting people retrained or up-skilled, she contended.

Fine Gael's Sean McKiernan concurred. The recession will not last forever and eventually there will be a return to economic growth, he remarked.

Cllr. Brian McKeown (SF) said parents on Social Welfare will suffer on the double, as their payments have been cut and then if they have students in college, their grants have now been cut by five per cent.

Cllr. McKiernan suggested that a letter be sent to the Minister about the cut in student grants.

Rory O'Moore said that students generally use most of their grant money towards accommodation costs. They also have to pay a registration fee of €1,500.

Fine Gael's Paddy O'Reilly said the cost of accommodation for students was a real rip off and it is an issue that needs to be addressed. It was agreed to write to the Minister about the cut in the maintenance grants for students.