“A Co Galway woman is one of three students who have today taken a legal case to the High Court, calling for a reversal of cuts to their third-level maintenance grants …” (more)
[Marie Madden, Galway Independent, 23 February]
“Between 800 and 1,000 people marched from O’Connell Street to Leinster House yesterday, protesting against plans to scrap allowances for newly qualified teachers which will see them earning 30% less than the starting rate from 18 months ago …” (more)
[Noel Baker, Irish Examiner, 23 February]
“Hundreds of primary schools face new difficulties in paying for basic utilities such as heating and lighting after a fresh cut in school maintenance supports. The cut in capitation support is designed to offset a Government U-turn on funding for disadvantaged schools …” (more)
[Seán Flynn, Irish Times, 22 February]
“Education Minister Ruairi Quinn still faces political pressure over a number of budget cuts despite a significant rowback on the planned withdrawal of teachers from 132 disadvantaged primary schools …” (more)
[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 22 February]
“Senator Averil Power: I move: That Seanad Éireann believes that: — investing in education will be crucial to Ireland’s economic recovery; — prioritising resources at children from disadvantaged areas and those with special needs at an early stage is not only imperative from an equality perspective but also has the potential to deliver considerable cost savings to the State in the long-run; …” (more)
[Seanad Éireann, 8 February]
“Cuts in education budgets risk undermining the economy’s growth potential, the EU has warned Ireland as the country moves closer to the bottom of the international league table in spending on schools …” (more)
[Ann Cahill, Irish Examiner, 9 February]
“Croke Park deal cuts deep: The full cost of the Croke Park deal is being felt across the education sector. The pay of young teachers is being cut, small rural schools are threatened with closure and disadvantaged schools are braced for more cuts …” (more)
[Irish Times, 7 February]
“A post-primary principals’ leader says that it would be better to cut teachers’ pay than to reduce staffing in schools in order to save money …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 2 February]
“New entrants to the teaching profession will be earning €10,000 a year less than their colleagues after the Department of Education moved to suspend the payment of various allowances …” (more)
[Seán Flynn, Irish Times, 2 February]
“Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has been accused of failing to ‘protect the most vulnerable in primary education from Mr Chopra and his troika friends’ by a school leader …” (more)
[Seán Flynn, Irish Times, 28 January]
“The exodus of staff from schools at the end of February will not leave pupils without teachers, parents have been assured. There are enough teachers seeking employment to fill the gaps, according to school managers and unions …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 24 January]
“The Government is likely to have to recruit hundreds of school teachers later this year to plug gaps left by a bigger-than-expected uptake of staff leaving before new pension changes take effect next month …” (more)
[Paul Cullen, Irish Times, 23 January]
“Between 3,000 and 4,000 parents, children, teachers and principals of disadvantaged schools protested loudly, with music and hundreds of home-made, multi-coloured banners outside the Department of Education yesterday, against proposed cuts to teacher numbers …” (more)
[Kitty Holland, Irish Times, 20 January]
“Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the possible impact of abolishing postgraduate grants on his areas of responsibility such as promoting innovation, research, enterprise, investment and job creation; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil Éireann Written Answers, 18 January]
“It is ‘simply not possible’ to completely exempt staffing levels in education from the need to cut spending because one third of all public sector employees work in the education sector, Ruairí Quinn has told the Dáil …” (more)
[Marie O'Halloran, Irish Times, 18 January]
“What’s the talk of education? REVIEW OF CUTS TO DISADVANTAGED SCHOOLS ‘Last night in the Dáil Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn said that he would be reviewing the cuts to disadvantaged schools on a school-by-school basis. What will this mean? …’” (more)
[Irish Times, 17 January]
“It looks that thankfully the proposed cutbacks to DEIS schools may well be reversed, however as of yet there is nothing concrete. Minister Ruairi Quinn was on Pat Kenny’s radio show during the week and to me sounded as if he didn’t fully understand the role of DEIS schools and the DEIS schemes …” (more)
[The Cedar Lounge Revolution, 15 January]
“Education minister Ruairi Quinn has admitted making mistakes in his plan to reduce staff numbers in disadvantaged schools, but warned he would only be able to soften the blow by making cuts elsewhere …” (more)
[Caroline O’Doherty, Irish Examiner, 14 January]
“Minister for Education & Skills Ruairí Quinn challenged teachers to come up with ideas to make savings within the total DES budget …” (more)
[Humphrey Jones, More Stress, Less Success, 13 January]
“The Irish education system is beginning to experience the real implications of the ‘Austerity Programme’ agreed with the ECB/IMF. We are like terrified passengers on a runaway train, heading into the path of an oncoming train …” (more)
[Brian Mooney, Education Matters, 8 January]
