Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

Some 641 subject inspections, including approximately 230 subject inspections to be carried out as part of whole-school evaluations, are planned for 2006.

A totally revised format of subject inspection was introduced in September 2001. Since then, there has been a significant increase in the number of subject inspections carried out on an annual basis. In particular, inspection activity at post-primary level increased significantly from 2003 onwards following the recruitment of new inspectors to replace those assigned to the State Examinations Commission.

I laid a signed copy of the Education Act 1998 (Publication of Inspection Reports on Schools and Centres for Education) Regulations 2006 before the Houses of the Oireachtas on Tuesday, 31 January 2006. The purpose of these regulations was to place a legal obligation on the chief inspector to publish reports prepared as a result of school inspections. Simultaneously, the Department of Education and Science published guidelines on the publication of school inspection reports. These regulations and guidelines apply to reports arising from all subject inspections commenced on or after 6 February 2006.

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