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Education sector 'sheltered as much as possible' from cutbacks - O'Keeffe

Published: 22 November 2008

STEVEN CARROLL

Sat, Nov 22, 2008

THE EDUCATION sector was "sheltered as much as possible" from the tough decisions and cutbacks that had to be made in the Budget, Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe has said.

Responding to the findings of a Sinn Féin survey on the effect the cutbacks will have on primary schools, Mr O'Keeffe said it was not possible to avoid making tough choices which would affect the sector in "an economic situation of unprecedented difficulty".

The survey of 110 primary schools in Dublin found 67 per cent of schools will have classes of more than 30 pupils next September, that 36 per cent of schools are set to lose at least one teacher and that almost one-quarter will lose language support teachers because of the cutbacks.

"I know that these decisions are not, of themselves, desirable and that they can only be justified by the imperative of securing the future economic stability of our nation," Mr O'Keeffe said.

He accused Sinn Féin of "opportunistic politicking" and called on Opposition parties to work with him in meeting the challenges facing the education sector in the current economic climate.

"I would ask political and sectoral interests not to engage in the politics of division but rather to work with me in the common good and in the long-term interests of this country and our children."

Sinn Féin MEP Mary Lou McDonald described the findings as "a stark reminder of just how short-sighted" the Fianna Fáil and Green Party Budget choices were.

"The cutbacks which will remove teacher supervision, grants for books and hit Traveller and underprivileged children, do not show a progressive or fair outlook," she said.

"The current climate is a good time for a more expansive approach to education, as it is the key economic driver."

One of the schools that responded to the survey, St Mark's Junior School in Springfield, Tallaght, says it was expecting to lose four language support teachers. The school currently has 258 foreign-national students, which is 48 per cent of its enrolled pupils.

Ladyswell National School in Mulhuddart will also lose four language teachers, while the Educate Together School in Castleknock will lose three language support teachers.

Mr O'Keeffe said there would be "some alleviation" for the position of schools where there was a significant concentration of foreign-national pupils - to be judged on a case-by-case basis.

The survey also found that 13 schools had sanctions for new school buildings or extensions put on hold, and that 16 schools had been refused funding for maintenance problems such as leaking roofs, windows and unsafe playground surfaces.

"One school currently has five classrooms in prefabs with three of these 40 years old and another almost 50 years old. It is 32 years since Scoil Náisiúnta Eoin Baisde in Clontarf held their first meeting for a new school building," Ms McDonald said.

Mr O'Keeffe said a 10 per cent increase to his department's capital allocation for next year of €79 million would allow him to "significantly invest in school buildings throughout the country."

O'Keeffe hits out at union 'scare tactics'

Published: 22 November 2008

Source : Irish Independent

Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe has again attacked the emotive language used by union leaders over the impact cuts could have on schools.

He stressed that his criticism was directed at union leaders, not individual teachers.

"I want to make it clear that I consider our teachers hard-working and committed members of the public service," he said. "I did not call teachers scaremongers -- rather some union leaders who claim to represent their interests."

He also rejected "opportunistic politicking" by Sinn Fein, and called on the party to work with him in meeting the challenges for the education sector in these difficult economic times.

Sinn Fein released details of a survey of 110 Dublin primary schools which showed that 25 schools will lose language support teachers.

In all, 74 schools will have a class with 30 pupils or more, and 13 schools will have classes with more than 35 pupils.

25,000 protest in Cork over education cuts

Published: 22 November 2008

Source : Sunday Tribune

Up to 25,000 people have taken to the streets of Cork today, to protest against education cutbacks in the budget. Parents, teachers and unions took part in the demonstration, to highlight their concerns over rising class sizes and staff cuts. Today's march is one in a series of protests organised by the Irish National Teacher's Organisation, culminating in a national rally in Dublin on December 6.

Protest in Cork over education cuts

Published: 22 November 2008

Source : RTÉ News

Between 20,000 and 25,000 people have marched through the streets of Cork to protest at education cuts.

The march was one of a series of demonstrations organised by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, which says children should not be made to pay for the current difficulties in the economy.

The Minister for Education, Batt O'Keeffe, said he simply does not have the funds to reverse the cuts.

This is the third time teachers, pupils and their parents have taken to the streets protesting against education cutbacks and the INTO says marches will continue until the cuts are reversed.

Churches pray for a miracle after wipeout of 'golden' bank shares cuts

Published: 22 November 2008

Source : Sunday Independent

Churches pray for a miracle after wipeout of 'golden' bank shares

Bank of Ireland, once a safe bet, has left many religious institutions counting their losses, writes Jerome Reilly

By Jerome Reilly
Sunday November 23 2008

Just 21 months ago, the Church of Ireland's 2.3 million shares in Bank of Ireland were worth €42m -- had the stock been off-loaded when it reached the historic high of €18 a share.

By Friday morning when the bank's share had actually "rallied" to the heady heights of €1.17 a share the value of the church's portfolio was just €2.7m.

And they are not alone. The disastrous fall in the value of the stock once considered as good as gold has left many in distress.

The Catholic Church, dozens of smaller charities and benevolent organisations have also seen the value of their shares plunge

The Catholic hierachy controls dozens of individual shareholdings in the country's oldest and once most venerable financial institution on behalf of parishes and their parishioners.

A brief examination of the bank's share register shows that Ireland's main church has at least 1.3 million shares in Bank of Ireland that were worth €23m in February of last year but are now valued at less than €1.5m.

There is hardly a Catholic diocese in the country which does not have substantial investments in Bank of Ireland. From the smallest parishes in the country, including many in disadvantaged areas, to small convents and educational trusts, the fall in Bank of Ireland has been a financial disaster.

Dozens of parishes in Dublin, from Gardiner Street to Blackrock, have all incurred paper losses on their Bank of Ireland investments, but the pain is countrywide -- from the dioceses of Armagh, Raphoe and Clogher in the north of the country to Clonfert in the west, Cashel and Emly and Cork, Cloyne and Ross in the south.

The Representative Church Body (RCB) is the charitable trust of the Church of Ireland and manages investments and property, payment of clergy stipends and pensions as well as supporting the core work of the Church by providing finance for the clergy, church pensioners, training of ordinands and education.

The membership of the RCB consists of the archbishops and bishops, members elected by the dioceses and 12 co-opted members usually appointed for their expertise in law and finance.

Investing the Church's funds in rock-solid Bank of Ireland would surely have been viewed as a prudent decision. The bank was regarded as a safe harbour almost guaranteeing long-term growth and as safe as any stock can be from the vagaries of the free market.

The Church of Ireland has four tranches of Bank of Ireland stock -- the biggest amounting to 2,176,315 shares with three smaller holdings of around 14,000, 18,000 and 26,000 shares.

In February of 2007 the value of that portfolio was more than €42m. Now the 2,335,000 shares are worth around €2.7m. Church leaders will be praying that recovery will be swift.

There are institutions all over the country feeling the chill winds of the loss of confidence in bank stock. The City of Galway VEC's 4,573 shares is small in comparison but testament to the mindset that investing in Bank of Ireland was a safe bet.

The churches' confidence in the bank, formed by an Act of Irish Parliament in 1782 to support public and commercial finances in Ireland, is steeped in history and tradition.

From the foundation of the Free State in 1922 until 1971 the Bank of Ireland was the banker of the Irish Government. It was blue chip, safe as houses, austere, well-managed and sensible.

That's why religious congregations and trusts of every denomination and charitable organisations favour the stock so much.

The list includes Ardagh Diocesan Board of Education (DBE) (3,453 shares); Derry DBE (14,651); Kilmore DBE, Co Cavan,(15,680); Leamy Protestant Board of Education, Limerick , (28,727); Limerick DBE (5,308); Ossory DBE (5,367) and the Little Sisters of The Assumption, Blackrock, Cork, (3,755).

Some Catholic dioceses have lost more than others.

The Bishop of Raphoe holds in trust a large number of separate shareholdings purchased at different times in Bank of Ireland on behalf of the diocese and various parishes and schools. The total comes to 265,000 shares in Bank of Ireland.

The Archbishop of Dublin has also invested parish funds heavily in Bank of Ireland through the Church's legal and property vehicle, the St Laurence O'Toole Diocesan Trust.

The parishes in the east of the country now looking at a substantial decrease in value following their plunge into the stock market include: Meath Street (24,420 shares); Halston Street (10,368); City Quay (29,935); Francis Street (45,435); Pro-Cathedral (27,336); Pro-Cathedral (second holding) (45,236); Archbishop's House (12,787); Blackrock (3,114); Booterstown (18,093); Gardiner Street (39,744); Castledermot (7,624); Donnybrook (45,236); Fairview (4,642); Blessington (7,115); Bray (22,581); St Michael and St John's (20,736); Wicklow (1,383); Westland Row (56,207); Berkely Road (10,368); Rathfarnham (10,595) and St Anthony's (12,715).

The Bishop of Clonfert has also invested in 48,057 shares on behalf of his diocese while the Bishop of Ardagh is the nominal owner on behalf of his diocese of 25,442 shares.

State agencies have also invested money left in bequests in Bank of Ireland in shares. The Department of Education Reid Bequest which offers awards to schools and Leaving Certificate students in Kerry has 2,863 shares once worth more than €50,000 when the BofI share prices was at its zenith but which are now worth less than €3,000 should they be sold.

The Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of the Freemasons based in Molesworth Street, Dublin, and which supports a number of charities, has also learned that shares can go down as well as up with the value of its 8,346 Bank of Ireland shares now worth a fraction of what they were worth 21 months ago.

- Jerome Reilly