Dempsey may attend union conferences

EDUCATION Minister Noel Dempsey may still turn up at the two second level teacher unions’ annual conferences next month despite insisting last week that he would not attend.

The Irish National Teachers Organisation general secretary, John Carr, will hold a debate on education issues with the minister as part of the union’s annual congress in Tralee next month.

After this was agreed on Tuesday, Department of Education officials met Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) and Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) leaders to suggest a similar arrangement for their conferences in Killarney and Galway, respectively.

Mr Dempsey last week told both unions he would not go to their conferences because they had rejected his request to facilitate a Your Education System (YES) meeting. The public meetings have been taking place around the country over the last seven weeks, aimed at informing future education policy.

But the minister’s officials yesterday suggested having a debate on topical matters with the minister at their conferences in Killarney and Tralee, similar to that agreed with INTO.

The minister yesterday said the format agreed the INTO congress was more agreeable than the traditional swapping of speeches at teachers’ conferences.

“It’s a format that will allow a little bit more interaction, the style up to this bore little relevance and it certainly wasn’t dialogue.

“We have made a step forward and I hope the other two unions can come on board,” he said.

The TUI executive is expected to discuss Mr Dempsey’s proposal this afternoon, while ASTI’s standing committee will consider the suggestion next week.