Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The review is open-ended. It needs to look at best practice in the delivery of upskilling for teachers.

At the moment it is divided into a number of education centres and it does not have a central directorate which would identify the direction we should take in the longer term. We need to ask if we need more central policy direction in this area.

The education and training boards are a new creation and they are now developing a diversity of services and supporting clustering in different areas. It is worth examining whether they should have a new role in this area. Over time they will evolve additional support services for schools in their neighbourhoods and I am keen to consider that so that we have a local response to local needs on an even greater scale. This is open ended and there will be opportunities for all interest groups to contribute. It is of intimate interest to teachers and all stakeholders in education. We can deliver better in this area, over time, and I will continue to assess the situation accordingly.

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