Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, who is unable to be here. She has asked me to respond on her behalf. I thank Senator Bannon for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the position of the Department of Education and Science on the matter raised by him.

The issue of quality of teaching within a school falls within the remit of the board of management and principal of that school. I wish to make that clear. It is the duty of the board to provide, or cause to be provided, an appropriate education for all students attending the school. The Education Act requires that "schools use their available resources ... to establish and maintain systems whereby the efficiency and effectiveness of its operation can be assessed, including the quality and effectiveness of teaching in the school".

The guidance and direction of teachers, the assignment of their teaching duties and the monitoring of the quality of learning and teaching on a day to day basis is the responsibility of the principal of the school, which in turn is accountable to the board of management. The Department of Education and Science inspectorate, through whole-school evaluation, monitors the performance of principals and boards of management in this regard.

As Senator Bannon is well aware, Lanesboro Community College is administered by County Longford Vocational Education Committee, a statutory body established under the Vocational Education Acts. Matters relating to the day to day running of community colleges are appropriate, in the first instance, to the board of management of the school and, in the second instance, to the vocational education committee concerned. The difficulties to which the Senator referred are ones which are appropriately being dealt with, in the first instance, by the board of management of the college and then by the County Longford Vocational Education Committee.

This should clarify the position. I thank the Senator for raising this matter and giving me this opportunity to clarify matters.