Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Junior Cycle for Teachers support service team has organised training seminars for English teachers during April. Unfortunately, the main second level teaching unions have issued directives to their members not to attend and have picketed training locations. As a result, just 16 teachers have attended the seminars held over the last few days. It is deeply regrettable that individual teachers have been put in a position in which they feel obliged to decline to avail of the rich learning experiences and dedicated time for learning on offer. It is wrong of any union to seek to deny opportunities for personal professional learning and development to its members. I have accepted Dr. Pauric Travers's revised and clarified proposal of 23 February as the basis for agreement on the implementation of junior cycle reform. I am now proceeding with implementation on the basis of the Travers proposal. I remain open to the unions coming on board and working with my Department and the other education partners in implementing the new programme using the Travers proposal as a basis for agreement. This requires a willingness on their part to suspend industrial action now.

See this speech in context