Dáil debates

Thursday, 24 March 2011

Other Questions

Programme for Government

4:00 pm

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 7: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his priorities for the next three months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5536/11]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The programme for Government outlines the Government's priorities over the next five years. It has a strong focus on education and skills and sets an ambitious work programme for me and my Department. My core fundamental priority across all areas of education, from early childhood education to training and higher education, is to improve the education outcomes for all our students. This will have to be delivered while recognising the economic reality that the last Government effectively placed this country into receivership, and that we are not in full control of our economic affairs as a nation. It is essential for us as a country, for our economic future and for the life choices of individuals that we change what we do to get radically better quality outcomes for the resources deployed. This is the challenge facing the education sector and me as Minister.

While it is my intention to make progress across the range of Government programme commitments there are a number of specific issues that I wish to see advanced in the short term. Addressing effectively the issues affecting key skills of literacy and numeracy is an essential core of delivering higher quality outcomes and is a major element of our Government programme. It will be a priority in the coming three months.

As part of our overall Government approach to jobs and the prioritising of this in the coming three months, I will have a significant input regarding training and education places and in considering schools capital investment. I also envisage initiating the preparation of a five year plan for educational infrastructure at primary and second level having regard to demographic demands and the need to upgrade existing stock. As part of this work, progress will be made on the inventory of school accommodation. I have already publicly stated my commitment to setting up a forum on patronage and pluralism which will report before the end of the year.

Another key area where I expect progress to be made is in the rationalisation of the vocational education committees, and specifically to determine in the coming months the headquarters locations where there are mergers, the titles of the new entities and the changes needed regarding the composition of each VEC. I will also proceed with the amalgamation of the qualifications bodies – the NQAI, HETAC and FETAC.

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for his reply in which he spoke about school accommodation and infrastructure in general. Considerable progress has been made in upgrading and providing new accommodation at primary and second level, as well as at third level in institutes of technology, PLC colleges and universities. The Minister's predecessor, the former Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan, published the schools building programme. Will the Minister confirm that this substantial and ambitious programme will be implemented?

The Minister referred to the rationalisation of vocational education committees, VECs. I fully support such rationalisation because there are too many committees. Is it his intention to proceed with this necessary and long overdue measure? If so, does he propose to have the same number of merged entities as outlined by his predecessor?

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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We need greater transparency in regard to the schools building programme. Some 75% of all representations to the Department of Education and Skills, under various Ministers, have been from school boards, school committees, worried parents and others as to where they are in the queue. It is my intention to provide more transparency and clarity so people know what is happening. The current situation is not satisfactory. We are now in a position to build more with less because tender prices have dropped significantly, by some 40%. In other words, with a smaller capital programme we can get good outturns in terms of new buildings and essential repairs. The tragedy is that we still have 50,000 young people in prefabricated buildings, with some schools consisting entirely of such buildings. Too many children go through their entire primary school experience in that environment at a time when there are empty housing estates throughout the State, a legacy of a wasted past. That issue will have to be reviewed.

In regard to the vocational education committees, I will build on the work of my predecessors. The rationalisation of 33 VECs down to 16 is the starting point, and I do not propose to make any significant changes in this regard. Of the 33 VECs, some are very large and some very small, overseeing perhaps one or two post-primary schools and an adult education service. Some of these could be combined in an effective way, and there will be consultations on that before I take action. I have met with the Irish Vocational Education Association and have requested that it indicate whether it has an alternative variation which nevertheless has regard to the necessity to obtain annual savings on a recurring basis of €3 million within the framework of 16 or so VECs.

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Does the Minister agree that the devolved programme, summer works programme and contingency programme have been very successful? I have seen schools in my constituency transformed by small amounts of grant aid. I urge the Minister to ensure these programmes are continued because they have given good value for money.

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I agree with the Deputy and we will try to do that this year.

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Gabhaim comhghairdeas don bheirt Aire, is mór an onóir é dóibh ach is mór an dúshlán é freisin. There has been a serious lack of investment by the State in education in recent years. Out of 31 OECD countries, Ireland is fifth from the bottom, with a below average investment. We cannot build a knowledge economy if we rip funds out of the education system. It is ominous and disheartening that the buzzword during the election was "change", yet ministerial statements seem often to be prefaced with an indication that decisions by the last Government will not be revisited. That is an incongruous position.

There is a large number of schools in Meath, both primary and secondary, that are operating in premises that were built at the start of the last century. Children are trying to learn in cramped conditions with poor heating. There are four secondary schools in Navan-----

Photo of Jack WallJack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Does the Deputy have a question?

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Yes, I am getting to it. All four secondary schools in Navan are currently full and children are being sent to towns 15 and 20 miles away. Is it a priority for the Government to resolve these immediate issues this year?

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Yes, it is, and we will have to be innovative in how we do it. Taking Navan as an example, we will have to undertake some type of inventory to ascertain the education infrastructure in the whole of Navan, irrespective of which school has what, and devise an holistic overview so we can maximise the utilisation of those resources for the 21st century rather than the 18th or 19th century when there were different teaching orders and different social hierarchies which are no longer relevant. We will have to think in a radical way that was not seen before, and I intend to lead that review.