Education official dies suddenly

THE Minister for Education has led the tributes to the general secretary of the Irish Vocational Education Association, Mr Joe Rooney, who has died.

Mr Rooney collapsed suddenly on Wednesday evening, shortly after addressing a regional meeting in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, which had been called to oppose rationalisation of the VEC system. He was taken to hospital but died shortly afterwards.

A leading figure in the education world for almost 20 years, Mr Rooney uniquely straddled the management union divide having previously served as president of the Teachers' Union of Ireland from 1977 to 1979.

He played a prominent role in many educational controversies over this period, including the negotiations over deeds of trust for community schools and, more recently, Government plans to reduce the number of VECs.

Ms Breathnach said Mr Rooney had made a great contribution to vocational education. The ability of VECs to respond with imagination and innovation to local community needs was the result of the work and commitment of the IVEA under his leadership, she said.

TUI general secretary, Mr Jim Dorney, said Mr Rooney's death would be a great loss to the vocational sector. "Joe believed passionately in democratic control of education and he had a great commitment to ensuring that the disadvantaged in society were assisted through the educational process.

The Association of Secondary Teachers' Ireland, said he had contributed effectively to all educational debates in the past decade. "His experience and thoughtful approach will be sorely missed," said ASTI general secretary, Mr Charlie Lennon.

The spokesman of the National Parents' Council, Mr Nick Killian, said Mr Rooney had always supported the rights of parents.

Mr Rooney became the first full time general secretary of the IVEA when he was appointed in 1980. Born in Galway, he attended UCG before beginning a teaching career in Dublin in 1966. He then moved to City of Galway VEC.

He is survived by his wife, Sarah (Della) O'Connor, and two children, Karen and James. A CAR dealer, who sued his mother for £30,000 after slipping on her newly washed kitchen floor, has been awarded damages against her in the Circuit Civil Court.

Mr John Wall (28), of Fortunestown Crescent, Tallaght, told Judge Alison Lindsay he called to his parents' home in St Patrick's, Fortunestown Lane, Saggart, on January 12th, 1993.

He told his counsel, Mr Timothy Sheehan, he walked through the kitchen to the dining room where he joined his parents. When leaving he slipped on the wet tiled kitchen floor, fell forward and injured his mouth.

Mr Sheehan said the tiling on the floor had since been changed but the plaintiff's solicitors, James G. Orange and Co, had kept a number of the old ones for expert examination.

Ms Sally Ann Wall said she was washing dishes when her brother John walked through to the dining room. Shortly afterwards she mixed water and detergent in a bucket and mopped the tiles.

She told Mr Noel Cosgrove, counsel for her mother, Mrs Margaret Wall, that she had not rinsed or dried the floor after washing it with the soapy water. "It was wet and slippery," she said. A short time later she heard her brother fall.

Mr Sheehan told the court his client received two lacerations to his lower lip and chin and had been left with scars.

Judge Lindsay held the floor was slippery and had caused Mr Wall to fall but added she felt he should have been keeping a better lookout about where he was going.

She assessed damages at £10,000 but held Mr Wall 50 per cent responsible and awarded him £5,000 damages and costs.