DUBLIN 29 OCT. 2008 -
"PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS":
Deputy Ruari Quinn / Motion, as follows:
"That Dáil Éireann deplores the series of educational cuts announced in the budget and subsequently by the Minister for Education and Science; expresses its serious concern at the damage these cuts will cause to the education system and to the future prospects of our children; and calls on the Government, in particular, to reverse the decision to increase class sizes at first and second level."
The Parliament of Ireland debate the proposals to cut funding and increase the pupil-teacher ratios. Thereby the government increase Republic of Ireland primary-school class-sizes to the highest levels in the European Union.
Deputy Ruari Quinn, Labour Party spokesperson on education & science, tables a 'private members' motion, to bring matters pertaining to the proposed cuts in education-funding to the attention of the House of Representatives.
REPORT ON PROCEEDINGS / PART SEVEN / Government minister continues his speech. Minister Bartholomew "Batt" O'Keeffe is a speaker listed on the oireachtas.ie website as: Batt O'Keeffe, Fianna Fáil, constituency: Cork north-west; "Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government".
However, in this debate he speaks as Irish minister for education and science. In that role, the minister proposes amendment 1 to the motion outlined above. In his ammendment speech, he outlines the forthcoming tsunami in the Irish education sector by applying language & mathematical figures, drawing lines and circles in such a manner so as to assure that anyone, and especially those hoping to see their children obtaining an education that they themselves were lacking, will have much difficulty in deciphering.
In Part-7 the Republic of Ireland minister for education & science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, cabinet member of the republican party continues his, what this reporter considers, 'lines and circles' delivery.
After the minister's penned speech-to-the-House, listeners are treated to an insider's perspective of more civil-servants' figures and statistics -- many dealing with the situation as it was in 1997, 11 years previously, upon the end of the tenure in government of the "Rainbow Coalition" of 15 December 1994 26 June 1997 formed by Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Democratic Left.
Following a number of scandals in 1994, particularly over the beef industry and the alleged mishandling of the prosecution of clerical paedophiles, the Labour Party left the 23rd government and, after negotiations, formed the 24th government with the opposition. This was the first time in Irish political history that a party had left a governing coalition and gone into government with opposition parties without first holding a general election and perhaps for this reason above all others, it is an event the Central Party members find difficult to confront as they are now faced with a similar scenario of back-bencher defections and a rumoured split in their main coalition partner remaining.
After 11 years in government, the other partner, the Progressive Democrat Party, has seen its party-leader voted out of office and their numbers decimated. The only remaining deputy being the current and much decried minister of health and children, faily blarney.
+++
ORDER OF BUSINESS:
+GNÓ COMHALTAÍ PRÍOBHÁIDEACHA+
+PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS+
45. Tairiscint maidir le "Ciorruithe Oideachais".
45. Motion re "Educational Cuts".
Loading...
4:29PORT of AMSTERDAM Dusk-til-Sundown 19April (wit...by Semtexxt567 views
Link to this comment:
All Comments (0)