Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

The tradition is for the Minister for Education and Skills to be invited to open a new school. However, I hold the view that a community should celebrate a new school's opening - possibly the continuation of a school tradition - by inviting a prominent person from that community. It reflects a centrist attitude among schools that their only relationship is with the Department of Education and Skills. Furthermore, some of my predecessors spent a considerable amount of time visiting schools for no particular benefit in the sense of not being present in the Department to progress legislation and the necessary works that required ministerial involvement. We have a sizable reform programme that requires a great deal of time and attention. This is my priority, but I have not, as a matter of policy, decided that I will not visit schools. The record will show that I have visited a number.

I have a diary meeting once a week and it takes me an hour and a half to go through all of the requests received to visit schools, attend functions or engage in other activities, some of which relate to education remotely, while some are centrally related, for example, meeting groups involved in education. I visit schools, attend functions and engage in other types of activity, some of it remotely related to education and other elements of it centrally related to education, including meeting groups involved in education. I have to ration my time as best I can.