Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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23. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his progress in reforming the junior cycle and the details of negotiations he has held with the teacher trade unions in the past four weeks. [10764/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for her question. As you are aware I received my seal of office on the evening of 6th May, just less than two weeks ago.

The formal negotiations with the two second level teacher unions and my Department were completed last summer. In fact, my predecessor and the leaders of the two unions, on 22nd May 2015, signed a joint statement on the "Principles and Implementation for the Junior Cycle" in which it was agreed that it was a "reasonable basis upon which reform should proceed". Further agreement on resources for implementation was provided in a July 2015 document. Based on those the Framework for Junior Cycle 2015 was published last August.

The TUI members voted in favour of the reform but the ASTI members rejected the reform at ballot by a margin of 55:45, with only 38% of their members voting. Further clarification was sought by the ASTI on aspects of the reform and this was provided last December.

It is a matter of deep regret that the ASTI failed to deliver on the 2015 agreement. Their continuing refusal to cooperate with the new Framework is impacting on current junior cycle students of English.

I have noted the content of an ASTI announcement in March of this year and the remarks of their General Secretary to their Easter Convention in relation to a decision of the ASTI Standing Committee to call a series of one-day strikes from September 2016. In his remarks, the General Secretary stated that their intention is to "allow for constructive use of the window of opportunity that exists in the interim period of time. That opportunity is there for the next Minister for Education and Skills, if they so choose to avail of it.

I have also received a letter from the General Secretary of the ASTI dated 9th May, indicating that the ASTI looks forward to engaging with me on a number of named issues, including junior cycle reform.I welcome the indications of the ASTI in this regard. If the ASTI requires further clarifications on any aspects of the published framework, I am happy to facilitate their request. My Department has already clearly signalled that it is willing to support the ASTI in re-visiting this issue with their members.

I hope that the ASTI can re-consider their current stance. This is in the interests of their own members who are currently teaching a new programme for which they have not received the available professional training. It is also in the paramount interest of the students who are disadvantaged by the current situation.

I intend to make contact with the ASTI to arrange for an appropriate engagement in follow-up to the letter of 9 May.