JOHN O’BRIEN IS NEW CHAIRPERSON OF CO MONAGHAN V.E.C.

Committees were in a unique position to identify, deliver and develop education and training requirements in the current difficult economic climate, stated Fianna Fáil public representative John O’Brien when assuming the role of Chairperson of Co Monaghan VEC for 2011 at the Committee’s Annual Meeting in Monaghan Town on Monday.
Colr O’Brien was elected unopposed to the post in succession to his Mid-Monaghan colleague on Monaghan Co Council Owen Bannigan, who was praised for his conduct in the role by the members.
Sinn Féin Co Councillor Sheila McKenna will be the new Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, succeeding FF’s P J O’Hanlon.
The new Chairperson identified the realisation of a single campus for Castleblayney College as one of his priorities when he addressed the meeting following his election.
His predecessor Colr Bannigan in his departing remarks called on “the powers that be” to reconsider the proposed amalgamation of VECs and predicted that this proposal would become a significant issue in the forthcoming General Election.
The outgoing Chairperson told the meeting that he wanted to take the opportunity to thank the VEC and the Fine Gael party for giving him the opportunity to serve in the Chair, something that he appreciated greatly and which he had enjoyed.
He described the year past as being a pretty good year – and maybe a great one – and certainly a worthwhile year for the VEC. At the end of 2009 Taoiseach Brian Cowen had visited Monaghan to give the go-ahead for the major new education campus development at the former Monaghan Military Barracks site, and this project had kept members excited and motivated throughout the year.