Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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We need to attend to several items of business. Just before the meeting started I received an e-mail from Deputy Byrne on the ongoing situation with the ASTI and the Department of Education and Skills. It is incumbent on us as the Joint Committee on Education and Skills to acknowledge that today is the first of eight days of strikes in ASTI schools, which is very regrettable. There are many victims in this, including teachers, parents, students and the community at large. Deputy Byrne has requested that we have a special meeting with the ASTI and the Department. Senator Ó Clochartaigh mentioned this earlier this morning. I thank the secretariat for checking the availability of committee rooms. Next Thursday morning there is availability and I suggest we meet at 10 a.m. and that we invite the ASTI to appear before the committee for the first hour and the Department to appear before us for the second hour. It would not be appropriate to invite both at the same time.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Two management bodies are affected, namely, the Joint Managerial Body and the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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That is a fair point.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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There are time constraints for the meeting, but they are the bodies implementing the closures when supervision is gone.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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There is a big impact on them. It is a huge challenge.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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They are not involved in the dispute but they are keen to let people know why they must close schools.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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That is fair. We will look at three different sessions and if necessary we will continue until 2 p.m., so I suggest the meeting would be between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The time is appropriate, particularly with regard to Deputies and Senators who must travel from afar.

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the meeting, but I will not be in a position to attend during that time slot and I apologise in advance, but the meeting is very important.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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We could do it in the afternoon if that-----

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)
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That would be doubtful.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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If we start at 12 noon would that be more-----

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)
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I would not be able to make that either.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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We will do it at 12 noon and work through. I thank the committee members. We will not have any more debate on it at this point.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Is the committee room available then?

Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Yes, the secretariat has checked this and it will be held in committee room three.

I will ask Deputy Martin to chair the next part of the meeting, which is with regard to an issue raised by Senator Ó Clochartaigh. I ask to be excused and I look forward to meeting everybody on Thursday.

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)
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Deirtear liom go bhfuil an polasaí um oideachas Gaeltachta atá ag an Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna le seoladh amárach i gConamara. Is cúis iontais dom é nach bhfuil aon duine ar an gcoiste seo curtha ar an eolas faoi sin. I have been informed the Taoiseach will go to Connemara tomorrow, and the Minister for Education and Skills and the Minister of State with responsibility for the Gaeltacht will also be there, to launch the new education policy for the Gaeltacht. I am quite surprised the committee has not been informed this is being done. I am disappointed nobody from the committee was invited, and none of the local Oireachtas representatives seem to have been invited either. This is very disappointing because we have been calling for this to be launched and we have welcomed its development. We were hoping it would happen sooner. It has been delayed for more than year. It is very disappointing. I have been given confirmation that other people were invited over a week ago to the launch. It is a very bad show by the Department if it is looking for buy-in from the various stakeholders that it did not inform us in advance that this was happening and invited us to the launch. I propose that as a committee we write to the Minister on this issue expressing our disappointment and concern and requesting that in future any development such as this is indicated to the committee and that we are invited to such events.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Aontaím leis an Seanadóir Ó Clochartaigh agus tacaím leis maidir leis seo agus an straitéis um oideachas Gaeltachta le foilsiú amárach. Tá an-taithí agamsa a bheith gan chuirí ón Rialtas seo nó ó Rialtais Fhine Gael agus níl mé ró-bhuartha faoi sin. Ag an am céanna, níl aon dabht ann ach go mbeidh an tAire ag rá amárach go gcuirfear an straitéis seo faoi bhráid an choiste seo. Sa nua-pholaitíocht, ba cheart go mbeadh cuireadh tugtha don choiste. Ní féidir liomsa dul. Beidh sé seo ar siúl i gConamara. Ní féidir liomsa dul go Conamara amárach agus ní bheidh mé ag dul, ach ba cheart go mbeadh ionadaíocht ann ón gcoiste. Measaim go bhfuil dualgas ar an Roinn a rá linn cathain a bhfoilseofar na straitéisí seo. Tá straitéisí eile le teacht maidir le teangacha iasachta agus a leithéid. Caithfidh muide a bheith ar an eolas maidir leo.

Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Tacaím leis an Seanadóir Ó Clochartaigh. Tá an ceart aige . Níl sé ceart nó cóir nach bhfuilimid in ann dul nó nach bhfuil, ar a laghad, cuireadh faighte againn. Chuir go leor daoine, ár bpáirtí agus páirtithe eile ina measc, brú ar an Aire an straitéis seo a chur i bhfeidhm. Bheadh sé oiriúnach plé a bheith againn leis an Aire ionas nach dtarlódh sé arís.

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Aontaím leis an Teachta Nolan. We were neither informed nor invited. It is highly regrettable that the stakeholders, who have been putting the pressure on and who contributed, were not advised that this is happening. It is not the first occasion something such as this has happened. We were not invited to the launch of the action plan either. Do we agree that we will write a letter in the name of the committee stating that we are to be informed and to express our regret that we were not invited to the launches of the two main strategies?

Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Chomh maith leis an litir, ceapaim go mbeadh sé oiriúnach cruinniú a bheith againn chun é seo a phlé. Tá cruinniú ag teastáil.

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Do we also agree to include in the letter that we are seeking a meeting? Agreed.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Foilseofar an straitéis um oideachas Gaeltachta amarách, mar is eol dúinn anois, ach níl an straitéis sin le cur i bhfeidhm go dtí an tríú ceathrú den bhliain seo chugainn. Tá a lán ama againn. There is a lot of time to discuss it.

Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Dúradh gur tharla sé seo roimhe. Ba mhaith liomsa stop a chur leis agus é a phlé chomh tapaidh agus is féidir linn.

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The chances of getting a meeting in the near future are slim, but we will make the request. We will also express our regret and seek information on and invitations to future events.