Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to discuss this motion. It gave the Minister the opportunity to address some of the concerns voiced to the Minister about how this was announced and how it will be implemented, so it is an important debate. At all times we must strive to implement what is contained in the Department's mission statement, which is to enable learners to achieve their full potential and to contribute to Ireland's economic, social and cultural development. No Member of the House would disagree with that. At a time of great economic difficulty and social upheaval, which has resulted in hardship for many in society, the importance of implementing these laudable aims is greater than ever.

To the Minister's credit, he has made the reform of the junior cycle one of his priorities since taking office. He outlined some of the background to the development and thinking behind the reform of the junior cycle and spoke of how Ireland's ranking in numeracy and literacy levels fell over a number of years. There are many reasons for the drop in standards. One cannot pinpoint a single area as there are complex, multifaceted reasons for it.

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