VECs amalgamate in 2014

Since it was announced last year that Longford, Leitrim and Roscommon Vocational Education Committees (VECs) were to be amalgamated, it has emerged that new legislation will have to be introduced to secure any future merger of the country’s 33 VECs.

Because of necessary changes to legislation in order to legitmise any VEC amalgamation, it’s execpted that it will be at least 2014 before the matter will take legal effect.

John Blunnie, CEO County Leitrim VEC said the merging of the three VECs was at least “three years away”. He attended a meeting alongside other CEOs at the Department of Education and Skills last week where the proposed VECs amalgamation was discussed in detail.

“We were told by the department that the legislation for the VEC mergers has not been passed through the Dail and that it could be the middle of 2012 when that happens,” Mr Blunnie said. “The department’s first priority is to fill the CEO vacancies that exist around the country,” he explained.

Mr Blunnie is the longest serving VEC CEOs in the country.