Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)

I do not think the redeployment to gaelscoileanna of teachers who are not fluent Irish speakers is a positive step either.

I note that this legislation will give increased powers to the Minister. I presume he will use them wisely. I listened to what he said about consultation, agreement and discussion with the education partners. I firmly believe it is time to have discussions with teachers - those who are actively engaged in the classroom and know what is going on. The education partners are sometimes removed from that. They do not know the realities and the practicalities.

The Minister has acknowledged that the DEIS scheme is having a positive effect on educational disadvantage. I agree with his point that there are disadvantaged students and students from disadvantaged areas in other schools as well. We cannot lose sight of them when we are talking about DEIS schools.

I would like to speak about boards of management. Having been a teacher representative on a board of management, and as a current chairperson of another board, I think more leeway and more direction are needed in this regard.

I will to conclude by mentioning a conference on anti-social behaviour that I attended this morning. It was organised by the Minister's colleague, the Lord Mayor of Dublin. The excellent papers that were delivered at the conference were geared towards the connection between learning and behaviour. I suggest it would be important for the Minister to consider the examples of really good practice that were cited at the conference.

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