New Minister for Education plans to "hit the ground running"

Vivienne Clarke

The new Minister for Education, Hildegarde Naughton, has said she intends to “hit the ground running” in her new position.

Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Ms Naughton said she was “deeply honoured” to be nominated for the position, and paid tribute to Paschal Donohoe on his departure to the World Bank.

She said that she comes to the position with “a 360 degree understanding” of the brief due to her previous experience as Minister of State at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

Ms Naughton said she had not known that Mr Donohoe was planning to leave politics. “I think he's somebody who has - as he said himself - been through ten budgets and three national development plans and given great service to Ireland and to the Fine Gael Party.

“He has a stellar record as a public servant here. But I absolutely wish him well, and I think Ireland's loss is the world's gain with his new role in the World Bank."

Ms Naughton said she was very proud to be the first Fine Gael TD from Galway West to be appointed as a senior cabinet minister.

The former primary school teacher said that her experiences as a teacher and in government, and her passion for education gave her a “360 degree understanding of disability in particular, having served in both those departments".

“So I'm going to hit the ground running. I really believe in listening to parents, students, teachers or SNAs in the wider school community.

"They're the real experts here to hear about that lived experience. That's how I've always done my business as a minister, and that's going to be my focus as I get into my new brief.”

Ms Naughton also said that she wanted her work on places in schools for children with special needs to continue.