Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

80. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the arrangements in place for officials in his Department to meet the community and voluntary pillar to discuss educational issues of importance to that sector; his plans to meet the pillar in the coming months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13459/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I wish to advise the Deputy that, in previous years, under the arrangements in place for the Social Partnership process, officials in my Department met on a regular basis with the Community and Voluntary Pillar to discuss educational issues raised by that sector. A series of bilateral meetings took place between Officials in my Department and the Community and Voluntary (C&V) Pillar over a number of years. The last such meeting took place in November 2015.

In recent years engagement with members of the C&V Pillar has taken place either bilaterally or largely through the structures established to implement Better Outcomes Brighter Futures, the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014-2020.

In light of the Deputy's question, I have requested officials of my Department to make contact with the current representative of the C&V Pillar to establish whether there are any particular issues for discussion that are not already dealt with under existing structures.