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School-related costs putting household budgets under severe pressure Radical reform is required in next week’s budget to make education in Ireland genuinely free, according to Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon. Deputy Gannon, who is the party’s spokesperson on Education, said: “Parents throughout the country know that the concept of free education is nothing more than […]

Students will understandably feel abandoned by the Government Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon has called on the Minister for Education to end ongoing uncertainty over when this year’s Junior Certificate results will be issued. Deputy Gannon, the party’s Education spokesperson, said: “The thousands of students who sat exams in June are fully entitled to know […]

This is devastating blow for the students involved, who have spent thousands of euro on this degree Students in Dublin Business School who have spent significant sums on a degree in Applied Social Care deserve answers about why the course has not been accredited by the regulator, according to Social Democrats Education Spokesperson Gary Gannon. […]

We need to make primary and secondary school education genuinely free An increase in the number of families struggling to pay back-to-school costs underscores the depths of the cost-of-living crisis, according to Social Democrats Education Spokesperson Gary Gannon. Deputy Gannon was responding to a new study from the Irish League of Credit Unions which found […]

A Social Democrats’ motion – to introduce a €20 ‘Cost of Disability’ payment and increase Disability Allowance by at least €15 – will be debated in the Dáil tomorrow  The government must commit to introducing a Cost of Disability payment in the forthcoming budget, according to Social Democrats Disability Spokesperson Holly Cairns. “The cost of […]

The Back To School allowance was higher in 2007 than it is now The government must act to provide relief for parents who spend up to €1,500 on back-to-school costs for each child, according to Social Democrats Children’s Spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore. “Last year, a survey from the Irish League of Credit Unions revealed that 24% […]

It is now  just days before schools close for the summer – and 106 children are still without a class for next year Minister for Special Education Josepha Madigan must clarify if she misrepresented the position of four schools she claimed had not engaged with the Department about special education classes, according to Social Democrats […]

Students are paying the price of the State Examination Commission’s failure to plan It is completely unacceptable that Leaving Cert results will not be issued until September 2, according to Social Democrats Education Spokesperson Gary Gannon. “Delaying the Leaving Cert results until September 2 will cause huge levels of additional stress and worry. It will […]

It is not acceptable that children can be taught relationships should be placed in a hierarchy, depending on sexual orientation The refusal of a school in Wicklow to include LGBTQI+ relationships in its Relationships and Sexuality Education is an indictment of the government’s failure to reform the curriculum, according to Social Democrats Education Spokesperson Gary […]

Ultimately, we need to ensure that equity is at the heart of these changes Plans announced today to reform the Leaving Cert are long overdue but welcome, according to Social Democrats Education Spokesperson Gary Gannon. “The first Leaving Cert exams took place in 1924 and, prior to 2020, remained largely unchanged in the intervening period. […]