Seanad debates
Wednesday, 8 October 2003
Benchmarking: Motion.
This is all written down; there is nothing general about it. The deal has to be delivered step by step. To ensure it is delivered there is a quality assurance or verification group involving not just the unions and the Department but also interests such as parent groups, management groups in the education area and similar people in other areas. I do not have the time to go through the entire process but it is all on record. Much nonsense is spoken about the benchmarking process. I defy any of the proposers of this motion to explain what they know about the benchmarking process, apart from saying: "We do not know; it is all behind closed doors." It is not. Every word presented by the union side in support of its claim is on the record, as is every word of the response to the union claim from the Department of Education and Science and the other Departments. The further response of the unions is on the record, as is the information compiled by independent consultants, by both sides and by the benchmarking body.
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