Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 March 2018
248. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure that all 21 education centres publish their annual reports from 2016 onwards on their websites; the reason this has not been the practice to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13598/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraEducation Centres are independent statutory bodies under Section 37 of the Education Act (1998) and are managed by voluntary management committees elected annually and comprised mainly of teachers. The network of Education Centres consists of 21 full time and 9 part time Centres. Their principal activity is to facilitate the local delivery of national programmes of teacher professional development on behalf of my Department. They also organise a varied local programme of activities for teachers, school management and parents in response to demand.
My Department is the main funder of Education Centres through direct budget allocations for administrative staff pay and operating costs. The Education Centres also receive significant funding from the support services which are funded entirely by my Department for the purpose of designing and delivering continuing professional development courses and other professional support for teachers throughout the country.
Centres are required to prepare and submit an annual report to my Department. Currently, Education Centres are not required to publish their annual reports on their website. However, some Centres do publish their annual reports on their websites and I am of the view that this is good practice as they are in receipt of exchequer funding. Officials of my Department will consider this further as part of the governance modernisation programme that my Department is undertaking in respect of Education Centres.
