'You cannot go through a crisis by pretending it's not there - you do it by standing firm' [IrishTimes]
- Published: 29 March 2010
LEADER'S ADDRESS: This is an edited version of the speech delivered by John Gormley to the Green Party convention on Saturday night
FRIENDS, IT’S great to be in Waterford at our first ever convention in this historic and beautiful city, and my thanks to the Waterford Greens and to the conference team for their hard work in organising this evening’s event.
We are being joined this evening by many thousands of viewers during Earth Hour, a global event to celebrate and highlight the importance of climate change. To mark this event, the organisers of Earth Hour have asked us to dim the lights to publicise the event. We ask you at home to switch off any un-necessary lights at home.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Special needs assistants fall victim to spending cuts obsession [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 29 March 2010
IN his letter (March 15), Kieran Kennedy highlighted then Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe’s lip service to schoolchildren with special needs, while in practice the minister sought to restrict the role of the Special Needs Assistant (SNA) to one of "care" at the expense of educational support.
Mr Kennedy needs correcting in one respect, however. The teaching unions did not connive at O’Keeffe’s cynicism to preserve teachers’ monopoly of educational input in the classroom.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Primary school enrolment set to double by 2014 [IrishTimes]
- Published: 29 March 2010
THE PROJECTED number of children enrolling in some primary schools is set to almost double in the next four years, placing severe strain on the education system.
Internal Department of Education records show around 40 areas across the State likely to experience a rapid increases in school-going population. Most of these are in the Dublin area and surrounding counties such as Kildare, Meath and Louth.
The department’s calculations are based on information from the Central Statistics Office, detailed information from the General Registrar’s Office and enrolment statistics from local schools.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Obligation to teach religion in class should go, say delegates [IrishTimes]
- Published: 29 March 2010
PRIMARY EDUCATION: PRIMARY SCHOOL teachers should not be obliged to teach religion in their classes, the Green Party convention has agreed.
A motion adopted by delegates accepted that “teaching of religion should be an optional subject for primary teacher training and should be multi-faith and multi-denominational, except where parents want denominational schools”.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Batt, cherish our enterprise and the jobs will come [Independent.ie]
- Published: 28 March 2010
Dear Minister O'Keeffe, There is not a moment to be lost if this country is to be saved from torpor and worse.
Therefore I want to tell you, as our new Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, a story.
"Tall and tanned and young and lovely, the shopgirl from Dun Laoghaire was talking..." About her fake tan, to be specific.
"It's my fake tan," she said cheerfully, when I enquired as to her healthy glow. "I got it in the beauty salon (she named a very reputable local salon) and it only cost me €15.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
