“The majority of the public favour the government re-negotiating the Croke Park Agreement according to a new opinion poll. The RED C survey for the Sunday Business Post shows gains for Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil at the expense of Labour and Independents …” (more)
[BreakingNews.ie, 27 April]
“Public servants have given the Government a slap in the face with their decisive rejection of the Croke Park agreement. The nature of the Coalition’s response will tell a lot about its ability to stay the course …” (more)
[Stephen Collins, Irish Times, 20 April]
“The rejection by trade unions of the pay cut package in the second Croke Park deal presents an acute new problem for the Government. This is extremely difficult for the Labour flank of the Coalition but shows too that Fine Gael is not immune to anger in the public sector at the steady erosion of pay and new taxes …” (more)
[Arthur Beesley, Irish Times, 17 April]
“Last week, ‘ideology’ was bandied about like a term of abuse. Two ongoing stories on education were peppered with references to ideology as if it was something that the cat dragged in. In education, it would seem, the only ideology that should be applied is ‘what we have we hold’ …” (more)
[Michael Clifford, Irish Examiner, 9 March]
“A Fine Gael TD has accused Education Minister Ruairi Quinn and a prominent Labour deputy of wanting ‘a communist state’ in Ireland …” (more)
[Fiach Kelly, Independent, 5 March]
[After the SUSI fiasco, surely we're not too worried about Ruairi's ability to organise a communist state ... or anything else?]
“Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has signalled that he is willing to compromise on controversial changes to the means test for college grants …” (more)
[Michael Brennan, Independent, 4 March]
“Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has appointed just five members of the public out of 190 who applied to sit on three key education boards under his remit …” (more)
[Paul Cullen, Irish Times, 4 March]
“Means-testing of farm assets for third-level grants will make a ‘very clear distinction’ between those essential for running a business and other investment-type assets, Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn said …” (more)
[Marie O'Halloran, Irish Times, 4 March]
“The two Coalition parties are experiencing deepening divisions on an imminent proposal by Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn to include business and farm assets in the means test for student grants …” (more)
[Harry McGee, Irish Times, 2 March]
“Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney has denied reports he told Fine Gael TDs that Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn had backed down on plans to include farm assets in the means test for college grants …” (more)
[Alison Healy, Irish Times, 2 March]
“Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney has denied reports he told Fine Gael TDs that Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn had backed down on plans to include farm assets in the means test for college grants …” (more)
[Alison Healy and Kathryn Hayes, Irish Times, 1 March]
“Fine Gael and Labour backbenchers have warned of trouble within the Coalition over plans to include farm and business assets in the means test for third level grants …” (more)
[RTÉ News, 1 March]
“Fine Gael TDs are insisting that the new public sector pay deal will not affect their campaign against Education Minister Ruairi Quinn’s changes to the means test for student grants …” (more)
[Michael Brennan, Independent, 27 February]
“The Government has confirmed to Fianna Fáil that it is pressing ahead with changes to the assessment criteria for student grants next year. It means that farm assets will now be included in the means-testing for third level grants …” (more)
[Cork Politics, 19 February]
“Taoiseach Enda Kenny has been told by a string of his backbenchers he must stop Education Minister Ruairi Quinn’s plans to include farm and business assets in the means test for college grants …” (more)
[Fiach Kelly, Independent, 14 February]
“Senior government ministers have promised backbenchers they will shoot down any plans to include farm and business assets in the means test for student grants …” (more)
[Fiach Kelly, Independent, 12 February]
“Fine Gael backbenchers are rebelling against Education Minister Ruairi Quinn’s latest plan to include farm and business assets in the means test for student grants …” (more)
[Michael Brennan, Independent, 5 February]
“A major union has warned public servants that ‘elements’ in Fine Gael will go on the attack to get at least €1bn savings if there is no new Croke Park deal …” (more)
[Anne-Marie Walsh, Independent, 30 January]
“Fine Gael Waterford Deputy Paudie Coffey has said that vested interests must not be allowed to halt the establishment of a Technological University in the South East, which is a commitment under the Programme for Government …” (more)
[Fine Gael, 16 January]
“I am delighted that Kobo, a global leader in ‘eReading’ is to establish a software development centre in Dublin. This will lead to the expected creation of over 30 highly skilled jobs …” (more)
[Deirdre Clune, 12 December]
