asked the Minister for Education if she has any plans to reform the vocational education committees in Dublin.

The future of the vocational education committees in the Dublin area is being considered in the context of the overall rationalisation of VEC structures to which the Government have indicated their commitment.

I am at present considering the various options for rationalisation and I hope to be in a position soon to announce details of the revised structures.

Was this not also one of the matters referred to the Central Review Committee? My recollection of moving a motion which was amended on 9 March was that in the rationalisation of VECs prior democratic consultation was one of the matters referred to.

No, the amendment to the motion was the one which gained the vote of the House. That amendment made no reference to merging or rationalisation of VECs. Indeed, the Deputy's party's proposal in that respect was for the abolition of VECs.

We corrected that on 9 March. The Minister should not be provocative; she should stick to the facts.

I am now proceeding to deal with priority questions. We have five such questions, I require to have them completed within the prescribed time. Therefore, I appeal for the co-operation of the Deputies concerned so that questions will be brief and relevant and we will dispose of the five questions within the quarter of an hour involved.