Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 1 Mar 2006

Vol. 615 No. 5

Adjournment Debate.

Company Closures.

Dr. Devins

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me raise this important issue. As no doubt the House will be aware, Saehan Media recently announced that it is to cease manufacturing capability in Sligo in the near future. This will result in the loss of approximately 90 jobs and will bring to an end the company's involvement in Sligo dating back to the mid-1980s. In its heyday the factory employed more than 400 people. Unfortunately, for the past number of years there has been a steady decline in the number employed in Saehan Media.

The factory manufactures video cassettes and following the introduction of DVDs there has been a considerable decrease in the world-wide market for video cassettes. It could be argued, with some justification, that the company should have seen the threat posed by DVDs and responded accordingly. However, the company did not do so and all these arguments are now academic because the workers are losing their jobs.

Our thoughts must be with those workers. I understand that if a worker leaves the factory between the announcement of the closure and the actual closure he or she may not be entitled to full redundancy, yet the natural inclination of any worker is to look for alternative employment once he or she has been informed of the job loss. I ask the Minister of State to consider putting in place some mechanism whereby workers can avail of redundancy in such a situation.

These job losses in Saehan Media follow previous job losses in Tractec Limited and Platters Food. While there are different reasons for the closures of the three factories and I acknowledge that the overall unemployment rate in Sligo is still low, it constitutes a worrying trend. I am delighted that the Minister of State has responded to my request and the requests of my Oireachtas colleagues from Sligo-Leitrim to meet us. We look forward to proposals from him on how the situation can be resolved in the future.

I mentioned the closure of Platters Food. The excuse offered by the company concerned, Kerry Group plc, was that there was not enough room for expansion of its operation in Sligo. Instead, the company is moving its manufacturing to Dublin. I have been in touch with the local employment agencies and I am assured that there is plenty of room for expansion, yet here is an Irish multinational moving an indigenous Sligo industry to the over-populated and over-resourced east coast. This is contrary to the national spatial strategy and Government policy in this area. It is a move I deplore. I ask Kerry Group plc, even at this stage, to reconsider the decision to move. I know that all the local agencies such as Enterprise Ireland and FÁS will be very supportive.

I mentioned previously the closure of Tractec Limited. This factory, although successful, was taken over by the Eaton Corporation of America a short while before its closure. The same company has a factory in Manorhamilton in north Leitrim. I have been in touch with IDA Ireland and am assured that it has every confidence in the long-term viability of Eaton in Manorhamilton. The importance of Eaton, not just to Manorhamilton but to north Leitrim, cannot be underestimated. I ask the Minister of State to use his good offices to ensure that IDA Ireland and all other State agencies actively continue to work with Eaton so that this vitally important industry remains in Manorhamilton.

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Mr. M. Ahern)

I thank Deputy Devins for raising this matter. I was very concerned to hear that Saehan Media Ireland Limited, Sligo, has announced that it will close with the loss of 70 permanent and 22 temporary jobs at the end of April 2006. The decision was communicated to the employees on the 17 February last, at which time the company requested employee representatives to enter into consultations on the basis for the implementation of the redundancies.

I am very conscious of the effect of these job losses on the workers involved and their families, as well as the community in the surrounding area. This is very disappointing news for those who will lose their jobs and I wish to assure the people concerned that the State agencies will provide every support they can. The priority will be to find alternative employment for those involved. The role of FÁS will be particularly important in assisting those who are to lose their jobs. FÁS has already been in contact with the company and its full range of services will be made available to the workers concerned if they wish to avail of those services.

Saehan Media plans to offer redundancy terms of five weeks per year of service inclusive of statutory redundancy, similar to the norm in previous lay-offs at the plant. The company will also draw up a skills profile of its staff to assist in establishing contacts for them with other companies who may be seeking employees.

As Deputy Devins stated, the market for their product has been in decline since the late 1990s with the advent and growth of DVD technology and its increasing affordability. Because of keener competition in a diminishing market the company has recorded a series of increasing losses which are not sustainable. These market conditions are also being experienced by Saehan in the US, where the company expects to close a video tape production plant with the loss of 180 jobs in the coming months. In both cases, demand for the product will be serviced by the company's Korean and Chinese facilities, which have spare capacity.

The industrial development agencies will be making every effort to secure alternative employment for the area. IDA Ireland is promoting Sligo and County Sligo to potential investors on an ongoing basis and every effort is being made to secure further industry for the area, by progressing the development of a knowledge economy in order that the area can compete both nationally and internationally for foreign direct investment. The agency is also working with its existing client base to expand their combined presence in the county.

To support this strategy of moving to a more knowledge-based economy, IDA Ireland is working closely with educational institutions in the Sligo region in developing the skill sets necessary to attract high value-added employment to the county. As part of the transition to re-positioning the county to a more knowledge-based economy, IDA Ireland is marketing Sligo as a key location for investment in the pharmaceuticals, chemicals, medical technologies, engineering, consumer product and financial services sectors. It is also working with FÁS to provide guidance in developing the skills needed by those in the workforce who are interested in up-skilling.

Over the past five years, IDA Ireland's focused strategy for Sligo has been to promote the county as part of an integrated north-west region with access to a population base of over 220,000 people. Job announcements for Sligo during the last year include the consumer telecommunications company, IDT Toucan, which will create 300 new jobs at its customer service centre in Sligo, and Litec Moulding Limited, which announced its intention to increase its workforce to 42 as a result of new business and the expansion of existing operations.

Enterprise Ireland has introduced a new programme called Enterprise Start aimed at people who are considering a career move and would like to learn more about starting their own business. Last year Enterprise Ireland organised a briefing on the new Enterprise Ireland strategy, which was launched in Sligo in May 2005 by the Minister, Deputy Martin, to companies from across the north-west. The strategy sets out the role Enterprise Ireland will play in transforming Irish companies into market-focused and innovation-driven businesses with the ability to compete successfully on world markets.

I assure the Deputy that the State development agencies under the aegis of my Department will continue to market Sligo and the surrounding area for investment and will make every effort to secure alternative employment for the staff who will be made redundant. I will examine the redundancy issue and I will contact the Deputy later in this regard.

Mr. English

The announcement last week that 350 employees will lose their jobs at NEC in Ballivor was a devastating blow. Many of them were married and had bought new houses. Five, six and seven members of families were employed by the company. Our hearts go out to them following this bad news, which is a devastating blow to Ballivor and counties Meath and Westmeath where most of the workers reside. The knock on effects will be significant. It is estimated the company was worth €20 million to the local economy because many spin-off companies were set up in the area.

NEC was established in Ballivor in 1976 and last week's announcement was a bolt from the blue. County Meath has suffered significant job losses, particularly over the past ten years. The number of IDA supported jobs in the county has reduced. CTM Limited in Kells closed a number of years ago with 270 jobs lost. Navan Carpets closed in 2003 with the loss of more than 200 jobs, while 50 jobs were lost at Crannac Furniture in Navan. Trimproof Limited, another manufacturing company, relocated its operations from Trim a few years ago.

County Meath has taken a number of hits and the IDA should make it a priority. Recently I obtained information on the number of IDA visits to the county. It has been the subject of half the visits of neighbouring counties, which is dismal. Political will needs to be devoted to the county so that it has a fair opportunity to develop the local economy. Meath's population has increased by one third over the past few years to 160,000 and will soon reach 200,000, but no new jobs have been created during the Celtic tiger era. More than 20,000 people commute to work in Dublin every day.

What notification had the Minister of State's Department or the State agencies such as the IDA of NEC's intention to pull out? Did discussions take place? What efforts were made to persuade the company to remain? The company requested meetings. Were its representatives seeking anything in particular? Was there an opportunity to save the jobs? Was an effort made to save jobs in the research and development section or to divert a number of jobs elsewhere?

What does the Minister intend to do to find suitable employment for the 350 employees who will lose their jobs next September? What will he do to retain jobs in the area, attract new business or provide replacement jobs? What courses are being offered to the employees? What opportunities will they have to upskill? They have been specifically trained to work in NEC and they do not want to have to spend hours commuting to jobs in Dublin. Congestion costs Dublin €650 million a year and additional commuters from County Meath are not needed to add to that. What efforts have been made by the Department to retain the NEC factory so that it will be easy to attract a replacement employer or to use as it an enterprise centre for smaller companies to start up in incubator units? It is essential that the building should be retained. NEC and Ballivor have been good for each other over the years. I ask that the company should be asked to give a little extra back to the community. It has always done its bit for local clubs but we need it to go a step further.

Will the Minister of State re-examine the national spatial strategy, which we were informed in 2003 would direct investment and infrastructure and so on? Meath was practically left out of the strategy. No hubs or gateways were selected in the county, yet it should play a vital role in linking Dublin with hubs such as Dundalk, Monaghan and Cavan. A minor reference is made to Meath in the context of the greater Dublin region but that is no good.

The rate base in the county is suffering badly because of a lack of jobs. NEC was the second largest employer in the county after Tara Mines. The local authority cannot afford to lose companies such as this and the finance it derives from them. The council does not have the money to service the increased population in County Meath. A recent report highlighted that the Government has also neglected the county in the area of local authority funding. The council receives 70% of the national average, yet Meath people pay 110% of the national average in tax.

The county is getting a raw deal. Thousands of IDA jobs have been lost over the past ten years and Meath needs a break. The Department should set up a task force in the county. Significant numbers of people are moving into the county but investment in jobs has not increased. The unfortunate people of Ballivor are an example of that. They will have to travel outside the county to seek employment. A political effort must be made to secure replacement jobs. We have a well educated workforce and it is only fair that the county should be given a fair opportunity to develop. As our local Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey said, Meath is suffering from an infrastructural deficit but he has been in office for almost ten years. I question how he could go on local radio last week and state he did not know of the problems relating to job creation in County Meath and the first he heard about it was from council staff. I have been blue in the face saying it in the House.

The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and our new Minister for trees surely know the problems we have in County Meath regarding jobs. It is not good enough for him to say he was not aware of the problems. We have been neglected. While the Minister of State may not be able to save this company, more jobs must be provided. The employees affected must be given an opportunity to upskill. Action and political will are needed.

Mr. M. Ahern

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I was very disappointed to hear that NEC Semiconductors Ireland Limited based in Ballivor, County Meath, had announced on 21 February that it was closing, with the loss of 350 jobs. The decision to cease production at Ballivor was taken by NEC's parent company in Japan. On 22 February, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment met representatives of Meath County Council and the State development agencies to discuss the follow up to the closure announcement. The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, was also part of a deputation that visited NEC's offices in London last week but it did not have great success.

The reasons for the closure include a poor business performance by the parent company and increasing operating costs. The overall competitiveness of the Ballivor plant has been reduced, especially when compared to plants in China, Singapore and Malaysia. Full closure is expected by September 2006.

I am very conscious of the effect that these job losses will have on the workers involved and their families, as well as on the local community. This is very upsetting news for those who will lose their jobs. I assure the people affected, however, that the State agencies will provide every support they can. The priority will be to find alternative employment for those involved in the shortest timeframe.

The role of FÁS, the State training agency, will be particularly important in assisting those who will lose their jobs. The agency met company representatives on 27 February and an action plan has been drawn up. The agency envisages an on-site employment services office, which will provide daily access to its full range of services. Following one-to-one consultation with staff over the coming months, FÁS will deliver on site training for staff in conjunction with the company. The company has initiated discussions with employee representatives and State agencies on compensation packages and professional support services to ensure the impact on employees, their families, and the local community and economy is minimised.

Recent data produced by management highlights that the Irish plant is the least competitive in terms of productivity when compared with NEC's three plants in Japan as well as its other plants in China, Singapore and Malaysia. On competitive issues in general, maintaining Ireland's attractiveness as a competitive and profitable location from which to do business is a key priority for my Department. Our economy is undergoing a fundamental transition to a higher value added, knowledge economy and we should no longer expect to compete as a low cost location for manufacturing investment. It is inevitable that the investment decisions of some companies will be influenced by the low cost attractions of alternative locations. The focus of my Department and its agencies is firmly concentrated on managing this transition of our economy through the use of the best blend of policies to strengthen competitiveness both at national and company level.

Finding alternative employment for the NEC workers will be a priority for the State development agencies. I assure the Deputy that lDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the county enterprise board, in addition to FÁS, will play their part in developing a way forward for both the affected workers and the surrounding area.

As part of its new strategy, Enterprise Ireland is working intensively with high potential start up companies at their initial start up phase in order to accelerate their growth. Since 2003, Enterprise Ireland has approved over €7 million in support to its client companies in County Meath and paid out over €5 million. Funding of over €635,000 has been approved by Enterprise Ireland in support of community enterprise centres at three locations in the county, including nearby Trim. These centres foster the development of micro-enterprises and particular emphasis is placed on creating and developing employment and enterprise space for people who lose their jobs.

The NEC workforce in Ballivor is highly skilled, some with almost 30 years experience. It is possible that some of the workforce will avail of the supports provided by Enterprise Ireland to develop their own technology-based businesses.

The Meath county enterprise board, in liaison with Enterprise Ireland, is preparing a number of initiatives to promote the idea of new start ups to the employees of NEC. The enterprise board has advised NEC that it is prepared to co-ordinate a general information evening of all State agencies at a local venue to make presentations and provide advice to the employees on the range of services and opportunities that they may wish to avail of. The State bodies to attend will include Enterprise Ireland, FÁS, the Department of Social and Family Affairs, Meath Leader 2 and TIDE.

Meath County Council will host a business showcase at the IFSC in Dublin on 8 March to promote the county as an attractive business location. Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland are actively supporting the council in organising this event.

The NEC workforce in Ballivor is highly skilled and I know that the loss of these jobs will be a severe blow to the area. I am confident that the industrial development agencies will strengthen their marketing and promotion efforts in County Meath. This will be done in partnership with the county council and other key players to maximise the flow of potential investors for the county and to convert these into investment and job opportunities for Ballivor and the surrounding area.

Schools Building Projects.

Mr. Stagg

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for accepting this matter for discussion. I also thank the Minister for coming in to take the debate. I appreciate that.

Kill national school, on the edge of the Naas dual carriageway, was built in 1951 to serve the primary education needs of the picturesque village of Kill and its rural hinterland. It now consists of the old building, an extension to it and a tangle of nine prefab classrooms placed on what should be the play area for the pupils. It caters for a population of some 4,000 people. The school is now in the middle of a virtual building site, one of the largest engineering projects in the country. When that project is finished, the school will be on a traffic island on the newly constructed N7, the road with the heaviest traffic load in the country.

In 1998, the newly appointed principal, Mr. Tom Kinnane, commissioned a study of the educational needs of the area. On foot of that study, the Department agreed in 2000 that a new school was required and instructed the Office of Public Works to purchase a suitable site. Six years on, the OPW has failed to do this. It has done sweet Fanny Adams about the issue.

It is the responsibility and duty of the Minister for Education and Science to ensure the necessary resources are made available to provide schools where required — and we have plenty of resources. The Minister decided in 2000, six years ago, that a new school was required in Kill, but all she has done about it since is to visit the school during the by-election last year and promise another prefab. She has failed to dischargeher duty as far as Kill and its children are concerned.

There are now nine prefabs at the school and one more is needed for this year's intake. That will be the last prefab as no more will fit; there is no room left in the yard for any more. There are 432 pupils in the school and this number will rise to 465 in September 2006 if the prefab is provided.

As a result of the Minister's failure to provide a new school and the continued zoning of land for houses by Fianna Fáil councillors, I have sought a moratorium on further house building in the area until a new school is provided. This request has been rejected and zoning and planning permissions are granted with gay abandon, with no regard for the needs of the children in the area. There is a basic need for a properly designed and built national school in a suitable location. Kill has not got this.

The board of management and the school principal, Mr. Tom Kinnane, have succeeded in the most difficult circumstances in providing first-class education for the children of Kill. However, they have now reached a crisis that even they cannot solve. Simply, there are more children seeking places in Kill national school than can be accommodated. In September of this year, 23 children, some of whom have had places booked in the school since they were born, will be turned away because there is no room. If the requested prefab is not provided, that figure will be over 50 children. Where will these children go in September? In September 2007, at least 47 children will be turned away. There is no room either in the adjoining towns and villages as they are full to the gills.

Tom Kinnane, who has worked miracles since his appointment to Kill, cannot solve the problem presented to him. There are more pupils than the school can accommodate. This will mean that some children will be close to six years of age before they can get a place. Even that is not guaranteed. This is a scandal and disgrace that the Minister has failed to tackle or resolve. Kill needs as a basic requirement a new 24-classroom school with all supporting facilities. This requires a new site. There is no scarcity of land in the vicinity of the village and all the Department needs to do is go out and buy it.

I demand on behalf of the children of Kill, their parents and teachers that this matter be dealt with as a matter of urgency. The Minister must deal with the acute accommodation crisis at Kill national school. Given that the Minister has come in to reply, I hope she has good news for Kill.

Minister for Education and Science (Ms Hanafin)

I thank Deputy Stagg for raising this matter. One of the reasons I am replying is because I have visited Kill national school and I am conscious of the excellent quality education being provided and the leadership given by the principal and staff in a school building that is anything but quality accommodation. I am concerned by the fact that the school faces not just demographic pressure but also pressure from the roadworks. Anybody travelling along the route can see the school. I am conscious of the conditions under which the school operates.

I am anxious that Kill national school should be one of the 1,300 schools to benefit from the schools building projects fund of approximately €500 million. The rate of growth in the school has been enormous over the past few years. Currently the school has 426 pupils, a principal, 15 mainstream assistants and four special needs teachers. It has grown in the past six years by 94 pupils, from 332 in 2000-2001 to 426. In that short time the rate of increase has amounted to three class groups.

When the school applied initially to the Department for an extension, it was on the basis of a 16-classroom school. The school has a priority one rating, the highest priority that can be given. Obviously, we are committed to seeing that this school and schools like it in rapidly developing areas are prioritised and make progress more quickly than other schools. When the Department decided initially on a 16-classroom school, the technical assessment of the site deemed it unsuitable to provide the level of extra accommodation needed to match the requirement.

The property management section of the OPW acts on behalf of the Department of Education and Science with regard to site acquisitions. It was asked to acquire a suitable site for the school. I understand a number of sites have been identified and the OPW is awaiting a recommendation from the valuer on the options. As soon as the preferred site is identified, it will be acquired in the shortest timeframe possible. I am waiting for the valuer to come back to me through the OPW.

In recent years we have used very innovative methods of delivering school buildings. With the use of generic design and design build, we have actually built schools in ten months. One example of this is the Archbishop Ryan school in Lucan. As soon as we get the site, I will be determining that we should use the fastest possible method of building the school.

In light of the recent demands on the school for enrolment, we now do not believe that a 16-classroom school will be big enough, particularly when one looks at the long-term enrolment needs of the area. Deputy Stagg seems to agree. We have to undertake an immediate review of the long-term enrolment needs of the school to ensure that the additional accommodation provided will be sufficient to meet the expected demand for pupil places in the foreseeable future. We will look at all relevant factors including enrolment, demographic trends, the rate and pace of proposed housing developments in the area, along with the projected occupancy rates. This review is being carried out as a matter of urgency and the outcome will be discussed with the school authority as soon as it comes to hand.

With regard to the immediate needs in Kill national school, as outlined by the Deputy, we have an application for temporary accommodation on hand to facilitate enrolment for September 2006. I am concerned that what the school has applied for will not be sufficient to meet the demands on it for September. I have asked the school planning section to meet the school immediately to make sure that we can expedite the matter and ensure that the accommodation needed can be made available, bearing in mind that there are site restrictions.

As soon as the Office of Public Works finds a site, as been instructed, we will purchase it and build the school as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we need to identify how big that school is going to be and that work is being done as a matter of priority. We also need to determine the temporary accommodation needed, which will be signed off with the school as quickly as possible.

I am acutely conscious of this particular school and I commend the principal, Mr. Kinnane, and his staff for the genuinely quality education they are providing in those circumstances.

Mr. Stagg

I thank the Minister for her reply and will be happy to monitor progress on the matter with her.

Marino Institute of Education.

Mr. F. McGrath

I am grateful for the opportunity to raise on the Adjournment the need to publish the Farrell Grant Sparks report on the Marino Institute of Education. Before going into detail on my concerns, I wish to record my total support for the staff and students at this excellent college of education, which is the backbone of Irish primary education. I commend their efforts, professionalism and integrity. However, I must raise serious issues regarding the way in which the college has been run recently. I raise these issues to get at the truth and ensure that education wins.

I must challenge the media statement issued by the trustees of the Marino Institute of Education on Friday, 24 February 2006. That statement asserts that Coláiste Mhuire has no legal existence. Are we to believe, then, that public funding is being paid into a private organisation that cannot be subject to freedom of information requests? Is this the case? How can the Minister be sure that her Department's annual capitation funding for primary teacher training is being used for that purpose alone? What system of checks and balances is in place to ensure that taxpayers' money is used for its intended purpose? With regard to the shortcomings identified in the PricewaterhouseCoopers report, are there now separate bank accounts for Coláiste Mhuire and other sections of the Marino Institute of Education, so that funding intended for primary teacher training is clearly ring fenced for that purpose? How are site overheads and costs shared between all users on the campus?

I urge the Minister to call for the full publication of the Farrell Grant Sparks report. Why has it not been published? This is further evidence of the culture of secrecy dominating the institute. The trustees have stated that there is no evidence of a systematic regime of bullying or harassment of staff and nothing to corroborate the allegations that the trustees, governing body or senior management were taking decisions inimical to the interests of primary teacher training at the institute, now or into the future. How can that be true when a substantial settlement was paid to Ms Caoimhe Máirtín? Why is it that high-quality staff members have left Coláiste Mhuire in recent months, citing an unhealthy and unacceptable work environment as the reason for their departure? Two of these staff members were also members of the governing body.

Will the Minister expand on the nature of the direct involvement of the Department of Education and Science with the trustees, as referred to in its media statement? What was the interim arrangement referred to in the statement? Is the direct involvement of the Department of Education and Science to continue? Will Farrell Grant Sparks and the trustees dictate the future role of the Department with regard to the Marino Institute of Education, despite the departmental injection of between €5 million and €6 million on an annual basis? What is the Minister's view on this? These are key questions.

I stand by the professionalism and integrity of Ms Caoimhe Máirtín, who has been driven out of the college. She is a true teacher, leader and visionary for Irish education and I hope we have not lost her because some people have another agenda. I thank and commend all the staff and students at the Marino Institute of Education. I strongly support their efforts for truth and justice. Their only agenda is to put Irish education first.

Ms Hanafin

I am glad to have the opportunity to respond to Deputy McGrath on the issues he has raised.

Coláiste Mhuire, Marino is one of five privately-owned denominational colleges of education recognised by my Department for the purpose of training primary teachers. It is part of the overall Marino Institute of Education. The institute is registered as a charitable trust and it is privately owned. It is governed by a governing body on behalf of the institute's Christian Brother trustees. It also operates conference facilities and continuing professional development programmes.

Following allegations of financial impropriety at Marino Institute of Education, I asked the accountancy firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers, to examine the use of moneys paid by my Department to the institute for the purposes of training primary teachers and associated activities. The main findings of the review, which I published in August last year, revealed that there has been no misuse of the public moneys paid by my Department to the Marino Institute of Education. In my press release welcoming the PricewaterhouseCoopers report, I stated that although my Department did not have any concerns regarding the funding provided for the purpose of training teachers, it was, nevertheless, important to demonstrate clearly that Department funding was correctly allocated for teacher training.

In addition to the PricewaterhouseCoopers report, the trustees of the institute commissioned a separate report by Farrell Grant Sparks to review, among other things, management structures at the institute and to recommend a long-term governance structure for the institute. Although the internal governance arrangements and management structures at the institute are the direct responsibility of the trustees, in light of the highly-publicised and well-documented difficulties at the institute, officials from my Department assisted in putting in place interim governance arrangements. This was done because of the public interest in a college of education and the need to assure students of the continued provision of high quality teacher training, for which the college is well known. My officials received the full co-operation of trustees, management and staff at the institute. I understand that the interim arrangements had been working quite well up to now.

Under the terms of the interim arrangements, the trustees of Marino Institute of Education appointed an interim director and interim president until a more lasting solution could be found. In addition, a senior official from my Department has recently joined the governing body of the institute for the interim period. The aim of the process was, among other things, to arrive at an interim arrangement which would guarantee the continuation of high quality teacher training for both existing and the incoming cohort of students for the next academic year. I assure the Deputy that, in the interest of the students attending Coláiste Mhuire, Marino, my officials will continue to be available to engage in a process with the trustees, management and staff pertaining to the teacher training college element of the institute.

I stress that my Department does not have any direct role in matters covered by employee and employer relations. In general, my Department does not have a role in staff management in Coláiste Mhuire, Marino because it is a privately-owned college. This also applies to other privately-owned colleges. My Department's funding is provided for the training of primary teachers at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Apart from the provision of funding, my Department also has a role with regard to the quality of trainee teachers similar to its role in the other colleges that prepare primary teachers. On the basis of the information received to date my Department has no cause for concern in this regard. As part of ongoing quality assurance measures a sample of final year students on teaching practice is monitored by the inspectors of my Department and this measure also applies to other colleges.

I mentioned earlier that the Farrell Grant Sparks report was commissioned by the trustees at the institute. I understand from the statement released by the trustees last Friday and from a very recent meeting between them and my officials that it is not their intention, for legal and commercial reasons, to publish their report. I also understand that a special governing body meeting will be held tomorrow at which the report will be discussed. I am sure this will be first of many engagements on the matter.

I am hopeful that management and staff at the institute can and will work collaboratively to ensure that high quality teacher education remains and continues to be of the utmost importance for all concerned.

The Dáil adjourned at 9.30 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 2 March 2006.