Abuse victim 'won't have to sell her home' [Irish Independent]
- Published: 24 February 2009
Source: Irish Independent
By Ralph Riegel
Tuesday February 24 2009
EDUCATION Minister Batt O'Keeffe has assured a distraught mother that there is no question of the State forcing her to sell her home to pay an estimated €750,000 in legal costs after she lost a landmark Supreme Court ruling.
Louise O'Keeffe (43) lost a high-profile action she took against the State to the Supreme Court last year after she claimed the Department of Education was vicariously liable for abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of a primary school teacher. In an emotional reaction to the court ruling last December, the Cork mother admitted she now feared she could lose her home if the state pursued her for costs, now estimated to exceed €750,000.
Yesterday, the Supreme Court reserved its position on the matter, after hearing that the State is now seeking its costs.
But last night the minister assured Ms O'Keeffe that she need have no fears about losing her home and that the State would adopt "a humane" approach to the issue.
However, Mr O'Keeffe defended the State's decision to contest the action, warning that a vital legal issue had to be clarified.
"What you must understand is that it was Louise O'Keeffe who was seeking costs -- and obviously, as a department, we had to have clarification of that and to seek our own costs," the minister told the Irish Independent.
"It was in fact Louise's legal representatives who took the case. But there was an extremely important point of law at issue. Obviously, as a department, we were pleased that that was clarified.
"And that clarification was that the department was not responsible in any way for the management of the school. That function resides with the board of management, with the school itself, and the department was not found negligent as such."
The minister said that the issue of costs would be dealt with sensitively and carefully -- but the State had to clarify an important liability and costs question.
"You just cannot give a carte blanche for every other solicitor in the state to pursue cases like that on the basis that, win or lose, they were going to get their costs," he warned.
It is understood that 200 cases similar to that taken by Ms O'Keeffe are now facing the State.
"I cannot run my department on that basis -- but what we have said, and this is very important, is that there is no question of Ms O'Keeffe losing her house," the minister said.
Humane
"We have said, and the Taoiseach has said quite clearly in the Dail, that the State Claims Agency would deal with this in a very humane way.
"But, obviously, it would be inappropriate for me to make any comment in relation to any aspect of the claim, until such time as the Supreme Court had given its decision on costs," he added.
Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that the State could not be held vicariously liable for 20 sexual assaults on Ms O'Keeffe by the then-school principal, Leo Hickey, in 1973, when she was an eight-year old girl attending a primary school in Cork.
Hickey was jailed for three years in 1998 after being convicted of indecently assaulting a number of girls.
He has since been ordered to pay compensation to Ms O'Keeffe for his treatment of her while a student at the national school.
- Ralph Riegel
ICTU to discuss strike action [Irish Examiner]
- Published: 24 February 2009
Source: Irish Examiner
The executive council of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions meets today to consider its next move following Saturday's mass demonstration.
Up to 120,000 people took to the streets of the capital to protest against the Government's handling of the economy, and in particular the controversial pension levy.
With a turn-out far exceeding many's expectations the Irish Congress of Trade Unions will have been happy with Saturday's demonstration and the pressure put on the Government by the participation of people from across the private and public sectors.
Today ICTU's executive council are expected to consider whether constituent unions will now ballot members on strike action.
Several unions are already balloting - the teachers unions - the INTO, TUI and ASTI - are asking members for a mandate to strike with a result expected early next month.
Meanwhile this Thursday 13,000 lower-paid civil servants - who are members of the CPSU - will hold a one-day stoppage against the pension levy, while the GRA - which represents rank and file Gardaí, is organising a march for Wednesday.
O'Keeffe says education job losses to be less than 400 [Irish Examiner]
- Published: 24 February 2009
Source: Irish Examiner
By Niall Murray
THE number of teaching jobs which will be lost because of budget cuts will be less than the 400 originally expected, Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe predicted yesterday.
He made the claim as he urged 60,000 teachers not to vote for industrial action as their unions begin a national ballet over the coming days.
The decision in last October's budget to change staffing levels in primary and second-level schools has led to an unresolved dispute between the minister and the unions over the number of teaching posts which will be cut as a result.
They claim it will be close to 2,000 while Mr O'Keeffe has insisted it would be around 200 at primary level and 200 at second level but that he could not say definitively until enrolment numbers from all schools, known as October returns, have been analysed.
But yesterday, he told the Irish Examiner it would actually be fewer than those 400 originally estimated.
"The indications to date suggest that it might even be less than that. That's based on some of the returns and some of the indications we have that it's actually going to be less," he said.
He made the comments as three teacher unions begin balloting this week on industrial action up to strike action, in opposition to the public service pension levy and education cutbacks.
The outcomes are expected to be announced by the end of next week by the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland, which has 18,000 members, the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (30,000 members) and the Teachers' Union of Ireland (14,500 members).
The Irish Federation of University Teachers will decide on March 7 whether to ballot its 2,000 members on industrial action. General secretary Mike Jennings said it will await the Government response to the attendance of around 100,000 workers in Saturday's Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) demonstration in Dublin against Government economic policies, including the public service pension levy. Save
Asked what his message was to teachers who will vote over the next week on industrial action, Mr O'Keeffe urged them to consider their own job security.
"We're saying to teachers that your positions within the school is that your jobs are safe, but they're certainly not safe in the private sector. An extraordinary number of people are losing their jobs, day in, day out," he said.
Mr O'Keeffe said members of the three unions are teaching children on the basis of their students having a future in Ireland but that this future will not be guaranteed if Government spending is not curtailed.
"Unfortunately everybody in this country is going to have to take pain in order to get this economy back thriving again," he said.
TUI general secretary Peter MacMenamin last night urged all members to give the union executive a clear mandate to engage in whatever action it deems appropriate to oppose the latest cutbacks.
Protesting workers told cost-cutting is essential [Breaking News]
- Published: 21 February 2009
Source: Breaking News
The Government today defended its handling of the economic crisis as crowds gathered in central Dublin to protest over its impact on workers.
In an unusual move, the Government issued a statement in advance of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) demonstration to insist its cost-cutting measures were essential.
"The Government recognise that the measures which it is taking are difficult and, in some cases, painful," it stated.
"The Government is also convinced, however, that they are both necessary and fair."
The ICTU march, from Parnell Square to the Dáil, was originally planned to protest at public sector cutbacks and pension levies.
But organisers later called on all workers, from the public and private sector, to turn out in a "national demonstration" against the handling of the downturn.
Public outrage has been growing at cutbacks directed against people on lower incomes, soaring unemployment and almost daily scandals in the banking industry.
But the Government said its steps were needed to show the world that Ireland was starting to get its public finances back in shape.
"Failure to show that credible start means that we impact directly and severely on our international reputation among investors and, in particular, on our capacity to raise funds and on the direct cost of servicing the borrowing which we are able to undertake," the statement said.
Ictu said ordinary taxpayers are being asked to bear the brunt of an unprecedented downturn caused by people who made a fortune during the Celtic Tiger boom years.
Special needs cuts are an absolute disgrace [Irish Examiner]
- Published: 21 February 2009
Source: Irish Examiner
EDUCATION MINISTER Batt O'Keeffe's decision to cut special needs classes is an absolute disgrace.
Children with learning difficulties have effectively been forgotten by our so-called leaders. It is disgusting we won't help the weak and disadvantaged when they need it most at start of their lives.
This State spent €2 million to purchase the Blasket Island. While I agree with this in principle, did it have to be done now during a recession that has engulfed us all?
I agree wholeheartedly with John Carr, INTO general secretary, when he wrote (Irish Examiner, February 13): "Everyone it seems is being asked to accept decisions like this for the good of the country. Everyone that is except the decision-makers and their well-connected friends".
I have voted Fianna Fáil all my adult life. Never again.
Darragh O'Riordan
Upper Clevedon
Kilmoney
Carrigaline
Co Cork
