Concerns were expressed at Cabinet in 2011 that, if there was an inquiry into Magdalene laundries, it could lead to calls for inquiries into abuses in mother and baby homes, psychiatric institutions, and foster care settings.

I’m flipping this year’s column for Mother’s Day, though we certainly don’t want to forget about hugs, breakfast in bed and sweet little primroses for Mum, says Darina Allen.

The Government could face industrial action by thousands of teachers and gardaí if it imposes financial penalties on them for repudiating the Lansdowne Road Agreement.

Approximately 95% of our primary schools are run by churches. This situation cannot be allowed to continue, argues Michael Barron of the rights group, Equate

I, and the Student Council of St Patrick’s Classical School, Navan, are supporting the continued industrial action taken by our teachers in our school and around the country who oppose the implacement of the current reforms of the Junior Certificate, which are being implemented by the current Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan.

The Institute of Technology Tralee and Cork Institute of Technology will proceed to the next stage of creating the Munster Technological University.

The media coverage on the Junior Cycle reform and the strikes by the teacher unions to-date suggests there is no public mood to take the concerns of the teachers into account. 

Philip Irwin, president of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland, and Jan O'Sullivan, Minister for Education and Skills, debate today's strike action.

While the second-level teacher unions are seeking to maintain State certification and external assessment, we are in favour of changes to enhance the Junior Cycle and support the introduction of new forms of assessment, as long as these assessment components are externally marked.

The announcement by the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn, of the Government’s ‘sign-off’ on the creation of three technological universities is welcome.

The National Council for Special Education will present new policy advice to the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn, today on special educational needs in Irish schools.

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin, has announced funding for a new 73-acre campus for the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) at Grangegorman, according to Labour's Joe Costello.

Ireland’s hospitality sector faces a shortage of trained craft and entry-level workers following the axing of Fáilte Ireland’s training programme, the newly elected President of the Irish Hotels Federation, Michael Vaughan, said.

HERITAGE WEEK begins today and every media outlet — radio, television and newspapers — is busy highlighting the importance of our cultural and environmental heritage and the nationwide programme of activities being provided to enable all of us to appreciate and enjoy that heritage.

The Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn today announced that 20 new primary schools and 20 new post-primary schools are to be established in the next six years.

I AM sure there was no intention to mislead in the article in a recent edition of the Irish Examiner: “Religious orders must keep their moral and financial commitments”.

MY class is doing a project in the hope of abolishing corporal punishment in all African schools.

A NEW training programme to help the unemployed get back to work aims to give people the skills and confidence to plan for the future.

THE Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan, now knows the answer to the Zen question … what is the sound of one hand clapping?