Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In May the Minister, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, announced that he was to invite the teacher unions to direct talks, acknowledging that the work of the working group during the course of the year had led to an industrial dispute between teachers and the Department about how the junior certificate reform programme was to be implemented. The Minister indicated that direct talks would commence following completion of this year's junior and leaving certificate examinations, but this has not yet happened. The only matter on which the Minister of State can report today is the progress of the working group, the work of which has been ongoing since the start of the year. Unfortunately, the current position is entirely unacceptable. There has been a real lack of political leadership and a willingness to pull everybody together to ensure everybody will be on board on this matter. Implementation of reform at a time when teachers are involved in an industrial dispute and have been directed by their unions not to engage in preparations and training for it is unacceptable. That direct talks have not commenced is worrying. I ask the Minister of State to ensure that when the new Minister for Education and Skills is appointed, there will be a new approach to securing agreement on implementation of this reform in September.

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