WELB has not cut driver hours

Education Minister John O’Dowd claimed no cuts had taken place but that any voluntary severance proposals brought by WELB to the Department of Education (DE) in future will be subject to the same strict criteria that all proposals are in order to secure the necessary funding.

SDLP MLA Mark H. Durkan asked the Minister whether his Department intended funding “voluntary redundancy packages for employees of WELB who operate the School to Home bus service.”

The Minister stated: “The Voluntary Severance Programme, for which I have set aside resources across the budget period, is intended to support the delivery of key areas of the Savings Delivery Plan and the Resource Allocation Plans.

“Arms Length Bodies have been invited to bring forward proposals which would reduce costs and deliver savings in a number of areas, in particular within Management and Administration and Professional Support Services.

“The proposals are then assessed against strict criteria and will only be considered where it is clearly demonstrated that there is no diminution, either directly or indirectly, in service delivery and, in particular, in support to children and young people.

“To date, no proposal has been received from the Western Education and Library Board relating to employees who operate the School to Home bus service however, if submitted, it will be subject to the same strict criteria that all proposals are in order to secure the necessary funding.”