IPPN

Speech by the Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern T.D.,
at the launch of the Education Recruitment Website
for The Irish Primary Principals' Network
at St. Patrick's College of Education, Drumcondra
on Monday, 1 July 2002 at 2.00pm

Jim Hayes, President
Sean Cottrell, Director
Officials of the Irish Primary Principals' Network;
Representatives from teaching and school management bodies;
Honoured guests.
Ladies & Gentlemen

Tá an-áthas go deo orm ' bheith anseo inniu chun an tseirbhís eolais nua seo do Phríomhoidí scoileanna a chur chun siúil.

I am delighted to be with you all here in "St. Pat's" this afternoon to launch this education recruitment website - a recruitment information service for primary and second level schools. Only last October, I launched the TeachNet Project that highlighted the potential of top class modern technology to promote excellence and best practice in Irish education. And so it is great to be back once again to see another milestone in education for our teachers and for our schools.

Today reminds me that St. Pat's continues to be to the forefront in the work to find leading edge strategies to keep Irish education ahead and to support principals in recruiting new teachers to their schools. I would like to thank the Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN) most sincerely for their kind invitation to perform this very pleasant task. And most especially, my thanks go to Dr. Pauric Travers, President of this College, for his generosity in hosting this important event.

My warmest congratulations go to the IPPN for their sponsorship of the education.com website and I wish this new venture every success. It is a step forward in bringing vital information to the people using the latest cutting edge technology. I hope that the new website will be a very convenient resource for boards of management, for principals and for job applicants up and down the country.

One of the great features of this new website is the fact that teaching vacancies which match the skills and qualifications of applicants are mailed directly to job applicants when the advertisements are posted on the website. This should make the job of finding vacancies and suitable candidates much more convenient for everyone concerned. From all my contacts with my friends in school management over the years, I know at first hand, the worry and the effort that goes with the filling of teaching vacancies. And I know that in recent times, that task has become particularly difficult for boards of management and principals alike.

I am sure that this new recruitment service is timely, and has immense potential to address that problem in a way that helps both schools and job applicants alike. Clearly the new website will mean tramendous cost savings for schools and boards of management in the years ahead which is great news too.

So therefore, I would like to pay a warm tribute to the people who have developed this initiative in the IPPN. And I am glad to see that there was a very special cooperation with the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals at second level, as well as with
management representative groups and the Department of Education and Science in bringing this service on stream. You also got great support from the C.P.S.M.A., the Church of Ireland Board of Education, Educate Tegether, An Foras Pátrúnachta, the A.C.S, the Joint Managerial Body and the I.V.E.A. This teamwork and cooperation augers well for the future. I would like to wish success to you in your work to provide similar information for the pre-school sector and third level institutions in the future.

The launch of this website coincides with the appointment of Noel Dempsey, T.D. as Minister for Education and Science and our ambitious programme to improve the level and quality of participation and achievement in Irish education. I am sure that the powers that be in St. Pat's will support our commitment to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio in our schools so that the average size of classes under nine will be amongst the best in the world. We are also determined to continue the expansion in teacher training and to introduce reforms in teacher training courses as recommended by the expert review. As we move ahead with our ambitious agenda, I look forward to continued cooperation between us as we work to ensure that all of our children can achieve their full potential.

Finally, can I take this opportunity to wish the IPPN well in their ongoing work and I was glad to hear that your first ever, national A.G.M. in Galway in May was very successful. I wish you well as you move ahead to address the very important issues that I know you have on your agenda. I look forward to working with you and I am glad to hear that you have already been in contact with the new Minister, Noel Dempsey, T.D. Minister Dempsey and I agree on many things and we both recognise the vital leadership and management role of principals at all levels as we work together to help our children to prosper in our evolving society and economy.

This website is one example of the sort of innovation and teamwork which will guarantee us success in serving our communities. I wish it every success. I have no doubt that, with strong support, the potential of the service at both primary and second level will mean that this website becomes a useful support for our very busy and hard working principals. I am sure that other interests will, in time, find the service to be of great value to them also.

Mo bhuíochas arís don IPPN. Guím ádh mór oraibh go léir sa bhfeachtas tábhachtach seo. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.