Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)

I move amendment No. 6:

In page 6, to delete lines 39 to 45 and substitute the following:

"The numbers and qualifications of the teachers and other staff of a recognised school, who are to be remunerated out of monies provided by the Oireachtas, shallbe determined from time to time by the Minister after consultation with and with the agreement of bodies representative of patrons, recognised school management organisations and any recognised trade union or staff association representing teachers, or other staff as appropriate and with the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.".

This is about the question of the agreement and the consultation on it. The preamble of the Education Act 1998 specifically refers to the shared objective of education being provided in the spirit of partnership between the various stakeholders. Any movement by the Minister, having the power, without either consultation or agreement, unilaterally to set out the appointment procedures, the dismissal and suspension procedures, and the terms and conditions of employment for teachers, would be in direct contravention of the preamble and the spirit of partnership, upon which the model of education in Ireland is founded. By attempting to sideline the various stakeholders, the Minister is devaluing the huge contribution made by the voluntary members of the board of management. This was raised during a recent Oireachtas meeting with those boards of management, who argued quite strongly against the changes being made. These board members also raised the issue of having a right to consultation and input into processes which intimately affect and restrict how they run a school. They are concerned that the Minister is trying to amend unilaterally the contract of employment of thousands of public employees, without the consent or agreement of employees and their representatives.

The concern is that this changes the dynamic. It gives more power to the Minister. This was raised the other day when we were debating the Estimates. We spoke about the perceived non-involvement in the drugs strategy and in the key pillar on rehabilitation. There was also the issue in respect of the Ombudsman for Children and the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs coming before an Oireachtas committee. There were good relationships and consultation between those stakeholders and the Department of Justice and Equality, but they had difficulty with the Department of Education of Skills.

The power is being shifted. That consultation may be just down to a telephone call. I am not saying the problem is with this Minister, but who knows what Minister might be down the road? People are wondering why we should change the partnership model when it is working. That is what my amendment is about.

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