Opposition Parties Pledge to Re-Instate NALC
26 Jan 2007 11:57 AM
Speaking at the 'Demand Your Right To Learn' event, organised by AONTAS, the National Association of Adult Education, Olwyn Enright TD, Fine Gael Spokesperson on Education, called on the government to publish the findings of the review of NALC, carried out by the Department of Education and Science over the past three years. "In my four and a half years as Education Spokesperson for Fine Gael, I have never been able to get to the bottom of why the National Adult Learning Council was effectively abolished," she said. "The review should be published now so that we can decide how best to go forward in an informed way."
Deputy Enright pledged her support to re-establishing the Council if Fine Gael is in government after the next general election. This pledge was echoed by Jan O'Sullivan TD, Labour Party Spokesperson on Education; Seán Crowe TD, Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Education; and Eileen McDermott, a member of the Green Party Working Group on Education.
Seán Haughey TD, Minister of State for Adult Education, was present at the 'Demand Your Right To Learn' event, but declined to give a commitment that Fianna Fáil would re-instate NALC if returned to power after the election. He said the review of the Council is underway and the government would have to view its findings before making any definite commitments.
Berni Brady, Director of AONTAS, welcomed the commitment of the Opposition Parties to re-establishing NALC. "The Council was established in 2002 and was disbanded the following year, with no explanation from the Department of Education and Science," she said. "The review that has allegedly been conducted by the Department has never been produced. The lack of coordination of the adult education sector is one of its biggest weaknesses. AONTAS demands that whoever is in government after the next election convenes a meeting of the Council, publishes the review and works together with our sector to develop an over-arching national structure as a matter of urgency."
