Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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I am grateful for the opportunity to raise on the Adjournment the need to publish the Farrell Grant Sparks report on the Marino Institute of Education. Before going into detail on my concerns, I wish to record my total support for the staff and students at this excellent college of education, which is the backbone of Irish primary education. I commend their efforts, professionalism and integrity. However, I must raise serious issues regarding the way in which the college has been run recently. I raise these issues to get at the truth and ensure that education wins.

I must challenge the media statement issued by the trustees of the Marino Institute of Education on Friday, 24 February 2006. That statement asserts that Coláiste Mhuire has no legal existence. Are we to believe, then, that public funding is being paid into a private organisation that cannot be subject to freedom of information requests? Is this the case? How can the Minister be sure that her Department's annual capitation funding for primary teacher training is being used for that purpose alone? What system of checks and balances is in place to ensure that taxpayers' money is used for its intended purpose? With regard to the shortcomings identified in the PricewaterhouseCoopers report, are there now separate bank accounts for Coláiste Mhuire and other sections of the Marino Institute of Education, so that funding intended for primary teacher training is clearly ring fenced for that purpose? How are site overheads and costs shared between all users on the campus?

I urge the Minister to call for the full publication of the Farrell Grant Sparks report. Why has it not been published? This is further evidence of the culture of secrecy dominating the institute. The trustees have stated that there is no evidence of a systematic regime of bullying or harassment of staff and nothing to corroborate the allegations that the trustees, governing body or senior management were taking decisions inimical to the interests of primary teacher training at the institute, now or into the future. How can that be true when a substantial settlement was paid to Ms Caoimhe Máirtín? Why is it that high-quality staff members have left Coláiste Mhuire in recent months, citing an unhealthy and unacceptable work environment as the reason for their departure? Two of these staff members were also members of the governing body.

Will the Minister expand on the nature of the direct involvement of the Department of Education and Science with the trustees, as referred to in its media statement? What was the interim arrangement referred to in the statement? Is the direct involvement of the Department of Education and Science to continue? Will Farrell Grant Sparks and the trustees dictate the future role of the Department with regard to the Marino Institute of Education, despite the departmental injection of between €5 million and €6 million on an annual basis? What is the Minister's view on this? These are key questions.

I stand by the professionalism and integrity of Ms Caoimhe Máirtín, who has been driven out of the college. She is a true teacher, leader and visionary for Irish education and I hope we have not lost her because some people have another agenda. I thank and commend all the staff and students at the Marino Institute of Education. I strongly support their efforts for truth and justice. Their only agenda is to put Irish education first.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am glad to have the opportunity to respond to Deputy McGrath on the issues he has raised.

Coláiste Mhuire, Marino is one of five privately-owned denominational colleges of education recognised by my Department for the purpose of training primary teachers. It is part of the overall Marino Institute of Education. The institute is registered as a charitable trust and it is privately owned. It is governed by a governing body on behalf of the institute's Christian Brother trustees. It also operates conference facilities and continuing professional development programmes.

Following allegations of financial impropriety at Marino Institute of Education, I asked the accountancy firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers, to examine the use of moneys paid by my Department to the institute for the purposes of training primary teachers and associated activities. The main findings of the review, which I published in August last year, revealed that there has been no misuse of the public moneys paid by my Department to the Marino Institute of Education. In my press release welcoming the PricewaterhouseCoopers report, I stated that although my Department did not have any concerns regarding the funding provided for the purpose of training teachers, it was, nevertheless, important to demonstrate clearly that Department funding was correctly allocated for teacher training.

In addition to the PricewaterhouseCoopers report, the trustees of the institute commissioned a separate report by Farrell Grant Sparks to review, among other things, management structures at the institute and to recommend a long-term governance structure for the institute. Although the internal governance arrangements and management structures at the institute are the direct responsibility of the trustees, in light of the highly-publicised and well-documented difficulties at the institute, officials from my Department assisted in putting in place interim governance arrangements. This was done because of the public interest in a college of education and the need to assure students of the continued provision of high quality teacher training, for which the college is well known. My officials received the full co-operation of trustees, management and staff at the institute. I understand that the interim arrangements had been working quite well up to now.

Under the terms of the interim arrangements, the trustees of Marino Institute of Education appointed an interim director and interim president until a more lasting solution could be found. In addition, a senior official from my Department has recently joined the governing body of the institute for the interim period. The aim of the process was, among other things, to arrive at an interim arrangement which would guarantee the continuation of high quality teacher training for both existing and the incoming cohort of students for the next academic year. I assure the Deputy that, in the interest of the students attending Coláiste Mhuire, Marino, my officials will continue to be available to engage in a process with the trustees, management and staff pertaining to the teacher training college element of the institute.

I stress that my Department does not have any direct role in matters covered by employee and employer relations. In general, my Department does not have a role in staff management in Coláiste Mhuire, Marino because it is a privately-owned college. This also applies to other privately-owned colleges. My Department's funding is provided for the training of primary teachers at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Apart from the provision of funding, my Department also has a role with regard to the quality of trainee teachers similar to its role in the other colleges that prepare primary teachers. On the basis of the information received to date my Department has no cause for concern in this regard. As part of ongoing quality assurance measures a sample of final year students on teaching practice is monitored by the inspectors of my Department and this measure also applies to other colleges.

I mentioned earlier that the Farrell Grant Sparks report was commissioned by the trustees at the institute. I understand from the statement released by the trustees last Friday and from a very recent meeting between them and my officials that it is not their intention, for legal and commercial reasons, to publish their report. I also understand that a special governing body meeting will be held tomorrow at which the report will be discussed. I am sure this will be first of many engagements on the matter.

I am hopeful that management and staff at the institute can and will work collaboratively to ensure that high quality teacher education remains and continues to be of the utmost importance for all concerned.