Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 443: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if, in view of her recent announcement to distribute copies of a recently published biography on Eamon de Valera (details supplied) to every secondary school nationwide, she will distribute biographies of James Connolly and Michael Collins in the interest of providing a balanced view of Irish history to secondary school students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31940/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's inspectorate recommended the distribution of the Judging Dev publication on receipt of an application from the History In Service Team (HIST) to collaborate with the Royal Irish Academy and RTE to make the Judging Dev book available to all post primary schools, and I was happy to support this initiative.

The release of the book, which reassesses the career of Eamon de Valera in the light of the recently catalogued De Valera Archive, coincides with the 70th anniversary of the 1937 Constitution. The book brings together many documents/photographs/posters from archives around the country and abroad to shed light on de Valera's central role in the history of the Irish state.

It was considered that Judging Dev would assist students in their study of modern Irish History, especially as the emphases in the new syllabuses are on documentary study and individual research. This initiative is right in the centre of such methodology and study.

The provision of this book to second level schools should be seen in the context of my Department's practice of providing resources to teachers in relation to in-service training. In addition, an accompanying RTE Radio One Series, an online exhibition, podcasts of the series, a website, www.dev.ie and teacher-developed class plans support the use of this material in the classroom.