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Byrne welcomes swift resolution of indemnity concerns

Written by Alan Dennedy | 22 May 2020

Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Education, Thomas Byrne, has welcomed confirmation today that issues raised by the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) with regard to indemnity have been addressed and that teachers will engage in the process.

The ASTI had previously said that it would not advise members to engage with the process due to concerns that the indemnity left open the possibility of costs for teachers from potential legal actions.

Deputy Byrne commented, “It is extremely welcome that this issue has been addressed and that all teachers will now participate with the process. The concerns at the centre of this issue were genuine. Thankfully, talks today seem to have ended with the necessary clarifications received.

“The process of calculating grades will be a challenging one for all involved. Teachers need to know that they will be able to give students the correct grade, and not face legal costs as a result of this process. This is fair on the student who wants to receive an accurate reflection of their work and fair and the teacher who needs to know that they can do so,” concluded Deputy Byrne.