Students facing greatest accommodation crisis ever due to Government inaction

For this year’s intake of college students, the joy of receiving CAO offers has been replaced with a fear of not being able to find a place to live  This year’s cohort of third level entrants are facing the greatest student accommodation crisis in the history of the State, according to Social Democrats TD Gary […]

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Government must address high cost of books for secondary school students

Parents are sick and tired of forking out huge sums of money on schoolbooks that will have to be recycled Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore has called on the Government to address the high cost of schoolbooks for parents of secondary school students. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s spokesperson on children, said: “I know […]

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Divestment Programme Must Be Reviewed After Census Revealed Sharp Drop In Numbers of Catholics

The monopoly control of the Catholic Church on our primary schools is a relic from another era The Education Minister must review the school divestment programme after the Census revealed a sharp drop in the number of people who call themselves Catholic, according to Social Democrats Education Spokesperson Gary Gannon. “The Census has revealed that the […]

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Minister’s refusal to reform teacher training is inexplicable

Social Democrats previously called for review of Professional Master of Education course to help increase the supply of teachers  Schools will continue to experience serious teacher shortages when the new term begins next September if the Minister for Education fails to address the ongoing recruitment crisis, according to Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon. Deputy Gannon, […]

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Delay in finalising free schoolbook scheme could result in classroom chaos

Clarity on guidelines urgently needed to avoid risk of book shortages in classrooms in September The Minister for Education must immediately outline how the Government’s free books scheme for primary schools will operate to avoid classroom chaos next September, according to Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon. Deputy Gannon, who is the party’s spokesperson on Education, […]

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Government’s divestment programme for primary schools is not working

An education system that is beholden to the teachings of the Catholic church no longer has a place in a modern, secular society The Government’s programme to divest schools from Catholic church patronage is proceeding too slowly and is simply not working, according to Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon. Deputy Gannon, who is the party’s […]

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Tánaiste’s Comments Mean Teacher Career Break Proposal Is Dead In The Water

Will the Minister now take on board the Social Democrats’ 11 proposals to deal with recruitment crisis in our schools?  Comments made by Tánaiste Leo Varadkar in the Dáil today add another bizarre twist to the Government’s botched response to the teacher recruitment crisis, according to Social Democrats Education Spokesperson Gary Gannon. “In response to […]

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Plans To Suspend Teachers’ Career Breaks Show The Government Is Grasping At Straws

Some TDs, who were teachers before their election to the Dáil, are currently on career breaks Plans to cancel career breaks for teachers, in response to the recruitment crisis, show the government are out of ideas and grasping at straws, according to Social Democrats Education Spokesperson Gary Gannon. Deputy Gannon as speaking in advance of […]

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Social Democrats’ motion calls for solutions to teacher recruitment crisis

The Minister for Education has been sleepwalking through this crisis and has failed to give it the urgency it deserves The Social Democrats will bring a Private Members’ Motion before the Dáil on Wednesday (December 7), calling for a range of measures to address the serious shortage of teachers in primary and secondary schools. The […]

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Pupils with additional needs must be shielded from teacher recruitment crisis

Minister Foley must restore banked hours system for children who lose time with their special education teachers Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon has called on the Minister for Education to ensure that pupils with additional needs do not lose tuition hours as a result of the chronic shortage of primary school substitute teachers. Deputy Gannon, […]

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