AONTAS Response to Statement by Síle de Valera TD
24 Oct 2006 05:58 PM
Responding to Minister de Valera's announcement, Berni Brady, Director of AONTAS, said: "Síle de Valera has served our sector well as Minister of State for Adult Education. She has attended many AONTAS events over the last few years and has always been supportive of the work we do. I would like to thank her for her contribution to the adult education sector and wish her all the best for future years."
Ms. Brady said she hopes Minister de Valera's successor will continue to support the adult education sector and prioritise its development over the coming years.
"It is imperative that any future Minister for Adult Education reviews the importance of lifelong learning in relation to economic stability and civil society," she said. "Despite advances in recent years, adult education is still very under-resourced and we feel there is ample opportunity for a new Minister of State to make his or her mark by increasing funding and supports in order to make lifelong learning a reality at last.
"The new National Development Plan and forthcoming Budget provide perfect opportunities for the Government to demonstrate its commitment to the lifelong learning agenda. We look forward to welcoming a new Minister for Adult Education over the coming months and we sincerely hope that he or she will share our vision for lifelong learning in Ireland."
