Education Committee welcomes decision to lift moratorium on library programme for secondary schools

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Science has welcomed the decision by the Minister for Educaton and Skills to lift the moratorium on librarians for schools in the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) programme.

Following a private meeting today, Committee Chairman Paul Gogarty, TD, said: “On behalf of the Committee, I would like to welcome the Minister’s decision to lift the moratorium on DEIS librarians for at least the next school year. Concerns had been expressed about the future of the Junior Certificate Demonstration Library Programme and the Government’s commitment to maintaining the librarian posts intrinsic to the Programme and members of the Committee had prioritised the issue for our next meeting. However, the Minister has responded to the issue by lifting the moratorium for at least the next school year. This is a positive development and one that the Committee fully supports.

“Given the Minister’s decision, the Committee agreed that its meeting with secondary school principals concerning the future of the Junior Certificate Demonstration Library Programme should be cancelled. However, we will continue to assess and monitor the situation and would look forward to a meeting with the school principals in the future to see how the decision affects schools, librarians and students in the future.”

For further information, contact:

Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2

P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551
E: ciaran.brennan@oireachtas.ie