Open and shut case against the minister [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 13 January 2010
I’m sure that, like me, many people had made other plans for the week.
And not only that, but the minister decided to reopen them when the snow was melting, but the slush hardened again in some places, making conditions lethal for children and parents.
Mr O’Keeffe, it seems, cannot make the right decisions no matter what the weather.
Cassandra McElligott
Avandiar House
Bawnboy
Tralee
Co Kerry
Health and safety madness reaches schools [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 13 January 2010
IS there any limit to this "health and safety" madness? The mandarins in the Department of Education and Science decided last week that schools would be closed until tomorrow not only in Dublin but throughout the whole country.
The amazing fact is that the pronouncement was made between three and five days ahead of the period to which it applied.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Now schools face closure because of water shortages [Independent.ie]
- Published: 13 January 2010
MELTING snow and ice gave way to fresh problems for pupils returning to classrooms yesterday as water shortages plagued schools.
Hundreds of thousands of pupils returned to schools around the country but some will remain shut because of uncertainty over water supplies.
Over 90pc of schools are back in action but a small number postponed re-opening because of lack of water. Some are relying on what is in their tanks and are operating on a day-to-day.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Need for more immigration data [IrishTimes]
- Published: 12 January 2010
Madam, – While I agree with Denise Charlton, of the Immigrant Council of Ireland (January 6th), that there is a need for care in interpreting work permits figures, I would like to point out that there are a number of sources of data available that assist in providing estimates of the numbers of migrants living in Ireland and show trends relating to immigration and emigration.
These include PPS numbers, live register numbers, child benefit numbers and the annual population and migration estimates which are published by the Central Statistics Office.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Many schools reopen after snows [IrishTimes]
- Published: 12 January 2010
Many children returned to school this morning after Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe reversed an earlier decision to keep schools closed for the first three days of the week because of the cold snap.
Individual schools are deciding whether to open or close depending on local circumstances.
Ferdia Kelly, general secretary of the Joint Managerial Body, which represents voluntary secondary schools, said the majority of schools in the eastern half of the country were able to open. However hundreds of schools in the Munster region remained closed.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
