Department "unwilling" to get Kilkenny VEC into line

CO KILKENNY VEC blatantly disregarded Department of Education procedures by over employing teachers over 15 years a Dail committee has heard.

The cost of the extra teachers put by one TD at over £1 million was paid by the taxpayer because the Department was unwilling or unable" to bring the VEC "into line", the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr John Purcell, told the Committee of Public Accounts yesterday.

Mr Purcell said the VEC persisted in employing more teachers than it was allocated by the Minister for Education. This had gone on to varying degrees for 15 years, although the local government auditor had raised the matter as far back as 1981.

Mr Pat Burke, assistant secretary at the Department, said he accepted that, with the benefit of hindsight, more extreme action was warranted to deal with this disregard of the Department's control procedures. The system of issuing reminders had not worked and the Department had "learned its lesson".

Mr Eric Byrne, Democratic Left, said it was clear the then chief executive officer of the VEC, Mr Brendan Conway, has responded to Mr Purcell's enquiries in an "outrageously arrogant and disrespectful" way. The entire committee had to know of the abuse. He added: "The Department should point out that VECs are not a law unto themselves."

Mr Conway retired on full pension after 40 years' service last August. His successor, Mr Rodger Curran, who only started last month, told the committee he had withdrawn 4.5 whole time teacher equivalents and planned to eliminate the excess on a phased basis over three years.

Mr Des O'Malley (PD) asked how the VEC could justify having a committee "and all the paraphernalia" for just 1,900 students. There were secondary schools in the cities which had 1,200 pupils and were run with out committees and bureaucrats.

He also asked about the justification for one VEC which had 78 students - a pupil teacher ration of nine to one.