Ms Anne McElduff:

The INTO thanks the committee for the invitation to appear. My colleague, Ms Elizabeth Kirwan, is currently in the INTO head office but is a teacher in St. Luke's national school in Tyrrelstown, Dublin. I acknowledge the constructive relationships we had with previous Ministers, the current Minister, Mr. Seán Ó Foghlú and the officials of the Department of Education and Skills.

The relationship between boards of management and the Department of Education and Skills is determined by their respective functions. These functions are governed by the Education Acts 1998 to 2013 and various other legislative provisions, the rules for national schools, Department of Education and Skills circulars, and the constitution of boards and rules of procedure. Boards of management of primary schools ensure that schools are managed in a spirit of partnership, on behalf of the patron of the school. Local boards ensure that local voices and concerns are reflected in the management of the school, and that the interests of pupils and their parents, staff and the community are represented.