Confusion surrounds Dempsey attendance at teachers’ meeting

THERE was uncertainty last night whether or not Education Minister Noel Dempsey will attend the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) annual congress in Galway next month.

The union issued a statement yesterday suggesting agreement had been reached that the minister would address delegates, but this was rejected by Mr Dempsey last night.

He told the 12,000-member union a week ago he would not attend because of its refusal to accommodate his request for an open forum on education during his attendance.

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) had issued a similar response, saying its rules did not allow for a change in the traditional conference format.

But after talks on Thursday between officials from the Department of Education and both second-level teacher unions, TUI said its position had changed.

General secretary Jim Dorney said Mr Dempsey would address the conference and union president Derek Dunne would respond. Mr Dorney said he was pleased the minister had chosen to compromise on his initial rejection of the invitation.

“There may also be a provision for further engagement from either side if necessary in order to further facilitate meaningful and substantive interaction on the issues of most importance in education today,” Mr Dorney said.

But a spokesperson for Mr Dempsey said last night no agreement had been reached.

The minister has already agreed to engage in a debate with Irish National Teachers Organisation general secretary John Carr at his union’s annual congress in Tralee. It will take place during the session normally set aside for the minister to address delegates.

The ASTI, which had also rejected Mr Dempsey’s earlier proposals for an education debate among delegates at its convention in Killarney, will consider an alternative arrangement at a meeting of its standing committee next week.