Bernard Durkan, TD

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the turnover of substitute teachers in primary and secondary level schools are monitored by his Department with respect to each school; the rate of which the number of substitute teachers has increased or decreased since the embargo on recruitment; if there has been analysis carried out by his Department on the impact that this may have on the quality of lessons; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Olivia Mitchell has expressed sympathy with the workers at HP as 220 job losses were announced today (2 July 2013). This will further impact 60 contract jobs which are also to go.

I am very pleased to brief the House on the outcome of last month’s meeting of the European Council which took place in Brussels on Thursday and Friday of last week, 27-28 June, the last two working days of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Deputy Simon Harris, has today (Friday) welcomed the news that Standard and Poor’s (S&P) has raised its outlook for Ireland from stable to positive, saying that the move is another positive step on our road to regaining our economic sovereignty.