Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, to the House as quickly as possible for a question and answer session. The breadth of issues facing us in education is mind boggling. There is a huge need for clarity. Will continuous assessment be introduced for the junior certificate? We need a response on that. We have heard about the need for a debate on funding to support third level students in continuing their education. We must not cut our future so we must examine how to safeguard education in so far as is possible.

Most especially, I am seeking the Minister's support in taking on the unions to assist newly-qualified teachers to be taken on on probation. There is a means available through the work placement programme. It was approved on 29 November 2010 and the Minister spoke about it in July. He is supportive of it but the unions have written to all the schools urging them not to use this work placement programme to take on newly-qualified teachers for probation purposes. They are afraid it will displace a member of staff. I know of no board of management or school principal in this country who would not advertise a post if they had the numbers for a new teacher. That clarity must be provided. We must give an opportunity to the hundreds of newly-qualified teachers throughout our constituencies who are seeking an opportunity to be probated. They cannot even emigrate in peace because they do not have this fully qualified diploma under their belts. A question and answer session with the Minister would suffice as there have been many queries on education from all sides of the House for some time.