Local education and job training authorities are increasingly unable to operate because members are not attending board meetings.
The Department of Education has expressed concern at the growing number of meetings by Education and Training Boards (ETBs) abandoned due to the non-attendance of councillors and other representatives. It said that some ETBs had struggled to reach a legal quorum since 2015. Under the Education and Training Boards Act 2013, a board meeting can only proceed if 12 of its 21 members are in attendance.
ETBs are required by law to meet at least once every two months. The boards replaced the 33 Vocational Education Committees (VECs) in July 2013, taking over responsibility for the oversight of education and training, youth work and a range of other statutory functions. Sixteen ETBs manage and operate second-level schools, further education colleges, pilot community national schools and a range of adult and further education centres.
The department contacted all 31 local authorities last month asking them to impress on councillors the importance of maximising their attendance at meetings.
Paddy Bourke, the chairman of the City of Dublin ETB, said he believed the situation had become problematic by having legislation that stipulated 12 members were required for a quorum.
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“Each ETB should be allowed to set the number they think is required,” he said. “It would be a more logical way of doing things.”
Mr Bourke called on Richard Bruton, the education minister, to amend the legislation to allow greater autonomy on setting a quorum.