THE IRISH VOCATIONAL Education Authority has welcomed plans for the establishment of new Education and Training Boards but has also expressed concern over the proposals.

The IVEC, which represents Vocational Education Committees (VECs),  was responding to an announcement made yesterday by the Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn concerning proposals to replace the current 33 VECs with 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs).

IVEA General Secretary Michael Moriarty welcomed the fact that Minister Quinn had referred the Bill to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education, as this would “afford ample opportunity to debate the provisions of the Bill at the outset,” he said.

Moriarty also said that the newly-established ETBs will have more varied and enhanced functions than the current VECs under the new Bill. Overall, he said, ETBs would provide a “strong, vibrant middle tier structure in the Irish education system”.

However, Moriarty expressed disappointment over the “significant reduction” in size of the membership of the Board as compared with the size of the membership of the present committee of the VEC – saying that it could result in the “abdication of any meaningful links with the local communities”.

The ETB, which will represent catchment areas of two or three counties, will have ten local authority representatives and four community representatives giving a voice to the communities across those counties under the proposals, Moriarty said.