Demonstration Against Education Cuts 6/12/08

INTO Press Release: Irish National Teachers' Organisation, National Demonstration Against Education Cuts – Dublin

Saturday, 6th December 2008

More than sixty thousand people turn out for protest march in Dublin against education cuts in the budget.  

The march, one of the largest in the capital for years was organised by the teacher unions with the support of parents and school management.  

The primary teachers’ union the INTO has called on the Minister for Education and Science, Batt O'Keeffe to begin talks on reversing the education cutbacks.  

The union’s General Secretary, John Carr said the presence of tens of thousands of protesters was a powerful message to government that the cutbacks must be reversed. Mr Carr said the country’s economic difficulties must be sorted but he said, “children should not be used as easy targets”.  

Declan Kelleher, President of the INTO, called the education cutbacks “an act of educational vandalism”. He said the Minister could save money by bringing some sanity into the school building programme.  

He cited a school in Laois paying €47,000 per year for the rental of prefabs. “If they were allowed to take out a mortgage they would pay €18,000 per year which after 25 years they would actually own. But after renting for years they will have nothing except rotting prefabs and wasted money.”  

ENDS