Irish Election - Coverage of Irish Politics, News and Current Affairs

After establishing himself as the one minister making actual decisions during the recent cold spell, Batt O’Keeffe has struck again today with an abrupt decision to abolish the National University of Ireland.  As anyone with a degree from UCD, UCG, UCC, and Maynooth knows, NUI is the body that actually awards the degree, and also [...]

Concerns have been raised at plans by the Government of Saudi Arabia to establish a school with an Islamic ethos in Dublin, according to the Irish Times. The plans have been announced in Arabic on the website of the Saudi embassy in Dublin which opened in September. From the Irish Times on Wednesday:
According to the [...]

[Cross-posted on TheStory - please appreciate I wrote this at 1.30am after a day spent reading official documents. Mistakes are a possibility, I'm open to discussion in comments section]
It’s about a year since An Taoiseach announced plans to develop ‘The Smart Economy’ (the successor to ‘The Knowledge Economy’, remember that?). In those twelve months we’ve [...]

Last Week ( I was on Holiday in Bruges last week. Like a F**King fairytale) so I am a bit behind the news. But anyway last week the government announced.Taoiseach launches €150m plan for ’smart schools’.
Every classroom in the country is to get a teaching laptop, software and digital projector over the next three years as [...]

The first round of CAO offers went out today, but those who have done well enough in their Leaving Cert to proceed to university may be the last ones to do so for free. The return of fees was probably inevitable even before the economy ran dry. Even so, the performance of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) on the issue over the past year or so is [...]

Today one of the most important reports on Ireland was released. No not Bord Snip Nua Nua. The CSO’s Measuring Ireland’s progress. I would urge everyone to have a read of it. I am sure the papers will only cover it in passing. No special supplements but it is a great resource. It is a [...]

Third level fees have weaseled their way back onto the news agenda. On Tuesday Minister of Education, Batt O’Keefe submitted documents to cabinet detailing the range of options available to Government for abolishing the ‘free fees’ regime. See the Indo report, or The Irish Times for more newsy information.
As the Indo says, it is likely [...]

Today we hear that no tough decision will be taken on fees until after June 5th. Perhaps it was last night’s Prime Time segment on how middle income earners would be put off university with the abolition of fees. We won’t know about the decision but we will get an idea of just what we [...]

So the government are going to reintroduce Universities Fees. Well I have to say I am not surprised.
NEXT year will mark the end of free third-level education for tens of thousands of students, the Irish Independent can reveal.
Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe last night confirmed he would bring proposals to Cabinet within two weeks which would [...]

It is an interesting spat, I read a lot of Brian Hayes releases as they come into the inbox here and it is interesting how he does focus on the micro, chasing down figures which might be obscure to some but I always thought it was a sign of a decent command of his brief. [...]

Batt O Keeffe announced a €2.7 million fund for education subsitution to cover schools in certain areas until year-end. Batt O’Keefe says an extra 2.7 million euro will pay for a limited number of substitution hours – to facilitate school activities.
Teachers had raised concerns that sports activities and school trips would have to be cancelled [...]

From todays Irish Times
PROTESTANT SCHOOLS appear to be battening down the hatches and cutting spending in response to recent Budget cutbacks. Like all schools, they must absorb the reductions in grants and substitution payments. But for them, the pain goes deeper. Without prior notice, a special support services grant paid to 21 Protestant schools across [...]

If you click on the party news link on the top you can see the latest Press Releases from the political parties.
Bruton exposes Irish oil rip-off: diesel 20.1% dearer, petrol 11.3%, heating oil 13%
Reading that headline you would think that he himself had exposed the rip-off. Telling us tales of going undercover in the local [...]

Is it really a big story? Really? Personal insults do not mark out a quality debater but nonetheless the big picture last night was that many thousands turned out in the hail, sleet and snow to protest at education cuts.
Those cuts have yielded horror stories around the country. Like the school in Cloneen, Tipp which [...]

I am just wondering if any of our readers/bloggers are heading along to the education protest at Leinster House tomorrow evening? If so – and you fancy doing some blogging from there – could you get in touch via the comments or the email to arrange something with us here?
Thanks