Ryan welcomes Waterford Wexford VEC merger
Issued : Sunday 3 July, 2011
Areas : Wexford, Waterford
Wexford Labour Councillor Joe Ryan has welcomed the decision by the Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn to merge Co Wexford VEC with both City of Waterford and Co Waterford VEC. Cllr Ryan who is a Vice Chairman of Co Wexford VEC says that the merger will secure the future of VEC services in Co Wexford.
Wexford Labour Councillor Joe Ryan has welcomed the decision by the Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn to merge Co Wexford VEC with both City of Waterford and Co Waterford VEC. Cllr Ryan who is a Vice Chairman of Co Wexford VEC says that the merger will secure the future of VEC services in Co Wexford.
Cllr Ryan who is Vice Chairperson of Co Wexford VEC said that Co Wexford VEC is the largest single VEC of the committees to be merged. He also said that that Minister Quinn will be deciding the location of the new Head Quarters and that he would be lobbying Minister Quinn along with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin to ensure that the HQ would be based in Wexford Town.
Cllr Ryan said “I welcome the decision by Minister Quinn to publish the proposed pairings of VEC’s as it ends the speculation and gives certainty to staff. Waterford City and County VEC’s were identified by Co Wexford VEC as the partner VEC’s that are most compatible with Co Wexford and I believe that this partnership will work in nthe interests of students and staff. Wexford is the logical location for any new HQ given that the county has a new VEC school opening in September in Gorey and that the number of VEC schools in the county is greater than both of the other VEC’s added together. “
Cllr Ryan ended “I understand that Minister Quinn will be introducing the heads of the bill that provides for the merger in Autumn to the Oireachtas Education Committee. The legislation will then go to the Daíl and when eventually enacted will see the new merged VEC with a significantly smaller membership by 2014. In the lead in to 2014 the present composition of the VEC will remain the same.”
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