Ireland of Equals Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Sinn Fein meet British minister on All Ireland education issues

Published: 4 July, 2006

Sinn Fein Education Spokesperson Michael Ferguson will meet with British Education Minister Marie Eagle to discuss the opening of the All Ireland Centre for Autism at Middletown and the services it will offer.

Also high on the meeting agenda is the recent news that hundreds of 26 County students will be denied their placements in FE Colleges along the Border as DEL says no to the College funding. The matter of the resourcing of Irish Medium education will also be raised, particularly on the back of breaking news that Fobairt Feirste 's Training Programme for 21 Post 16 students is not to be funded.

Commenting upon the meeting Michael Ferguson said,

" Since the collapse of the Institutions there is a growing feeling that all Ireland projects and Irish Medium Education has been relegated in importance by civil servants who never want to support such initiatives in the first place".

"The Irish Medium Education Sector has been one huge success story exceeding every target set by the Programme for Government under the Assembly and further more put Irish Medium Education on a planned and strategic footing"

"It is essential that the British Government meet their commitment to Irish Medium Education agreed under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement and as planned during the life time of the Assembly"

"In real terms this means that the Department of Education fund the implementation of the Sector's Development Strategy as they agreed, reinstate funding for pre-school provision at the rates prior to the collapse of the Assembly and by acknowledging its duty to Post Primary Education support provision where it is feasible and where demand exists."

" The current trends in investment reinforce the belief that the Department of Education and the Department of Employment and Learning are not prepared to keep to the terms of the Good Friday Agreement or their duties under the European Charter on Minority Languages in the same way as Scotland and Wales."

"I will be joined by representatives from Comhairle na Gaelscolaichta and Fobairt Feirste and we will be reminding the new British Minister of these legislative responsibilities. I will be insisting on the necessary investment to support Irish Medium Education and in particular the funding necessary to support the 21 Students that have just been told that there may be no training programmes for them to start in September."

" The recent threat to stop 26 County students crossing the Border as they have been doing for years and securing placements in colleges like Fermanagh College, Newry College and the North West Institute will also be on our agenda."

" I will be seeking some agreement that the hundreds of students from the 26 Counties expecting to begin their Courses in Border FE Colleges will not be denied their courses because of new stricter funding arrangements. It is imperative that the new arrangements are phased in to allow the Department of Education and Science to pick up their financial responsibility."

"The harmonisation of educational opportunities and cross border cooperation through the North South Ministerial Council is another part of the Good Friday Agreement. We need to protect these areas of the agreement and develop them and we hope that the new Direct Rule Minister Marie Eagle will meet us half on this matter"

For Further Information contact Michael Ferguson 07881960487