Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 28 March 2018

Select Committee on Education and Skills

Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised)

5:00 pm

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the committee for taking the Estimates. We are in a period where we are seeking to rebuild in education after a very difficult time, which we all acknowledge. We are in a position to expand the number of teachers we are employing and in the past two years we have seen approximately 5,000 extra teachers deployed. In particular we have looked at areas like special education, and we have a new system in place that is working well. We are looking to the future to further enhance the provision for special education and we are focusing on the restoration of funding to further and higher education. We have significant ambitions in areas like apprenticeship, which traditionally have been poorly developed in Ireland. They fit with the new opportunities that are emerging. We have a fresh plan in the disadvantage area.

This is a time when we are trying to address many areas of importance in order to achieve the goal we set that by 2026 we would have the best education and training service in Europe. It is a realistic ambition. We saw recently that our ten year olds are the best in Europe with regard to reading and mathematics. We have a good quality of education and good teachers. I know there are always matters that members will want to raise but we are in a period of rebuilding. We are also in the fortunate position that we have an expanding young population. It is stabilising at the primary level now but significant growth can be anticipated at second and third level in the coming years. In a young and vibrant economy, education has a vital role to play in shaping economic and social progress in the coming years.

I thank the committee for its work in the field of education. It is crucial to our future and I appreciate the contribution this committee is making.

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