Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

It does not matter which body represents those views, as long as the view is put across. The body principals have chosen to represent them is the INTO, the officially recognised trade union. At a meeting with the IPPN, representatives gave their views on an informal basis. There is absolutely no possibility of setting up a parallel structure when the INTO is the formal group representing principals and teachers.

On the broader issue of who represents the children, the best way of doing this is to get agreement on this issue very quickly. We all know it concerns a few people but they can have a serious impact in class. We can reach agreement on this over the next couple of months.

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