Coughlan denies she is being ‘hidden away’

TÁNAISTE Mary Coughlan denied she has been “hidden away” by Fianna Fáil during the election campaign in case she causes further damage to the party’s reputation.

The Education Minister made her first appearance at a party policy launch yesterday outlining plans for an overhaul of teacher-training colleges and to cap the amount a family pays for third-level fees to €3,500.

She said teachers are not equipped with the “requisite skills” needed in the classroom — especially for helping children with numeracy and literacy. And she pledged to increase the teacher-training courses from three to four years.