Minister faces angry primary teachers as some stage walk-out in protest

EDUCATION Minister Batt O’Keeffe braved the anger of primary teachers over education cutbacks and their falling pay packets as he asked them to bear the pain for the sake of Irish children’s future.

About 30 teachers walked out of the packed hall as he began to address the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation’s (INTO) annual congress in Letterkenny yesterday morning, and only the invited guests in the front row applauded at the end of his speech.

Mr O’Keeffe told the remaining 750 delegates it was understandable that some people are angry about the decisions the Government has had to make and that some of those decisions will cause real challenges for teachers and principals.

“I’m not underestimating these challenges, but I’m asking for your cooperation during these difficult times for our country,” he said.

“Our future is a shared one and the path this nation takes in the years ahead depends on the decisions we make today. Only by working together in solidarity and in the common good will we lift ourselves out of this period of economic difficulty,” he said.

But loud moans and cries of derision filled the room as he declared the Government had done its utmost to be fair and as balanced as possible in making spending and tax adjustments.

Throughout his 13- minute speech, relatively short for such events, a small number of groups around the hall held up signs with individual messages against cutbacks, including: “Bullies Attack The Weak: Implement the EPSEN Act [for children with special needs]”, “Pension Levy, Unfair Tax”, “Save Special Classes” and “No Levies On The Minimum Wage”.

Gregor Kerr from INTO’s Dublin North branch, and one of the teachers who walked out, later said they should not have to listen to someone whose only role is to patronise them.

Mr O’Keeffe told the congress he was introducing an e80 million summer works scheme to allow schools have non-emergency building and maintenance repairs carried out during the holiday months.

However, it is likely that his department will only consider applications previously submitted in 2007 for last year’s summer scheme, which was subsequently cancelled for budgetary reasons. About 1,110 schools had sought assistance for the 2008 scheme, paying out more than e1m in fees to builders and architects for reports in support of their applications.

The minister said a further e20m is to be allocated for schools to carry out energy conservation projects during the summer.

In contrast to the frosty reception for Mr O‘Keeffe, the North’s Education Minister Caitríona Ruane was warmly welcomed by delegates when she spoke after him, and she was strongly applauded for her move to abolish the North’s 11-Plus exam for primary children.