Deputy Noel Coonan has welcomed the announcement that North Tipperary VEC will merge with South Tipperary VEC saying this news “is a positive u-turn on the previous Government’s decision which was to merge North Tipperary VEC with Clare VEC.”

Speaking following last week’s announcement, the local Fine Gael TD said: “I welcome this action by Minister Ruairi Quinn and I’m working towards the objective that the VEC headquarters will be located in the Nenagh premises which is already in the ownership of North Tipperary VEC.

“I will strongly lobby the Minister on this issue and I’m sure my Oireachtas colleagues in the constituency will support me on this objective. This merger is more cohesive and I’m pleased to see that common sense prevailed and we reversed the decision of the last Government which was to inappropriately amalgamate North Tipperary VEC with Clare VEC.

“This decision will be much more beneficial to the VECs and to the public and now it’s time that we get on with the important job of the VEC in a cost-effective and efficient manner,” concluded Deputy Coonan.