CHANGES may be considered to a new Irish Leaving Certificate curriculum which places more emphasis on the spoken language because of anger in all-Irish schools, Education Minister Mary Coughlan has hinted.

CHANGES may be considered to a new Irish Leaving Certificate curriculum which places more emphasis on the spoken language because of anger in all-Irish schools, Education Minister Mary Coughlan has hinted.

THE Taoiseach returns today from Washington. At the top of his in-tray is next Tuesday’s ministerial reshuffle. This represents his last chance to refresh his Government.

BRIAN LENIHAN spoke confidently about his health last night as he said he had “no appetite” to change jobs in the looming reshuffle.

PUBLIC service staff are to hold a mass meeting later this month to discuss their ongoing industrial action in protest at the pay cuts announced in the last budget.

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has revealed he will cast aside another standout recommendation made by An Bord Snip Nua.

THE proposed closure of around 1,000 small primary schools should only happen if it can be justified for educational reasons, a parents’ leader has said.

YOU could be forgiven for calling it an Bord Snip & Tuck if the slash and burn plans for Sports, Arts & Tourism and Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs are anything to go by.

A €46 MILLION boost for rural areas over the next five years was announced by Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Eamon Ó Cuív at the ploughing championships.

BRIAN COWEN and his cabinet will spend at least €10 million this year on their teams of special advisers, press officers and personal assistants, figures reveal.

THE Oireachtas sub-committee on the Gaeltacht will publish its findings by the end of the year.

THE €8.7 billion provision for the agriculture and food sector in the National Development Plan 2007-2013 will benefit consumers as well as farmers.

The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs has asked the Board of Udarás na Gaeltachta for a set of recommendations on the development of the Irish Language and Irish-speaking areas.

Civil servants who retire are being rehired on a temporary basis because there is nobody trained to replace them.

THE €1 million generated by the court poor box system could be used as “slush fund” by the Government to buy votes if new proposals are implemented, Labour warned yesterday.

THE Government was accused yesterday of setting up a €110 million election slush fund to buy votes following a major change in the way the dormant accounts money is to be paid out.

The Minister for Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs has announced a grant of over €1million for Cill Chiarain pier in the Galway Gaeltacht.

Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Eamon O'Cuiv has announced that €70m has been invested in the Clar programme since its launch two years ago.