THE Minister for Education told the annual convention of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland in Galway that the proposed regional education boards would "only be established gradually" by a series of Government decisions which would "rigorously control their spending".
Ms Breathnach told the ASTI - delegates, whose executive has called for the scrapping of the education boards on the grounds of unnecessary extra cost, that they would be "strictly controlled in their spending, their staffing and their requirement to fund schools according to national criteria."
She said this strict control was "designed precisely to ensure that money goes directly to the classroom."
The Minister said at present the central administration costs of running the Irish education system amount to only £1.20 in every £100. Many functions which are now centrally undertaken would in future come under the new education boards, with a consequent reduction in central costs.
"If we need to invest a few more pence per £100 on ensuring that teachers and schools are properly supported by psychologists, services for children with special needs, teacher welfare, curriculum advice, school maintenance, and in-career development, then I'm convinced that it's a wise investment."
Ms Breathnach said the Education Bill would effect "the most massive devolution of decision-making to the regions since the central education system was set ups more than 160 years ago.
The change from the centralised system won't be instantaneous. It won't happen overnight, but happen it must. Communities want a say in education planning and that is their right. Parents want to be consulted about education provision and that is their right.
"And as teachers you want to ensure that the expectations placed on you are realistic and that you get co-operation in an increasingly demanding profession and that is your right."
She said giving people "power in their own schools" would be "the bedrock for a renewal in Irish education that will last for many years."
The Bill spell out for the first time the role of teachers "in planning for education in your school and in your community." Under it, teachers would be on every education board; they would have to be consulted on planning for each education region; they would be members of each school board of management and they would have to be consulted when a school plan is prepared.
Their right to "support and assistance" in their work in the classroom was also spell out and a statutory guarantee given that "procedures for your appointment cannot be changed without your association's consent."
The Minister mentioned three times in her address that the education budget had risen by an extra £700 million, or almost 50 per cent, since she came into office. "At second level, investment in the last four years has increased twice as fast as in the previous four. But there is no arguing that this increase was from a very low base."