A number of factors have combined to make this one of the quietest periods in education for some considerable time. Over recent years, the ASTI dispute (remember that?) and Noel Dempsey's mission to change the world combined to put education on the front pages.

But the appointment of Mary Hanafin has made things a great deal less contentious - and newsworthy. The new Minister continued her charm offensive last week, meeting the teaching unions, the Higher Education Authority and the education correspondents, among others.

Without being critical of her predecessor, Minister Hanafin seems anxious to put considerable distance between herself and the Dempsey Era. The likes of the INTO and university heads - who had some bruising encounters with Dempsey - love the new approach and are slow to publicly criticise the new Minister.

The forthcoming Estimates will test the mettle of Mary Hanafin. Noel Dempsey was very successful in securing over €200 million per year for primary-school buildings. The word from is that Hanafin will need to secure a substantial increase in funding - just to keep things ticking over.

The third-level sector also has the hand out for more funds. After suffering an effective cut of 10 per cent last year, the colleges are looking to Hanafin to deliver. But will Brian Cowen release his grip on the public purse?

More on UCC boss Gerry Wrixon. It appears the Department of Education considered the appointment of a High Court judge to investigate the uncivil war at UCC last year. But some senior figures and the Higher Education Authority were strongly opposed to the plan.

Noel Dempsey signed off on plans to give Wrixon his five-year extension before leaving Education. But approval from Brian Cowen is still pending. It may be that the mandarins in Kildare Street will leave Wrixon sweat it out until the last moment (early next summer) before moving on this hot potato.

INTO boss John Carr, was last week elected to the powerful General Purposes Committee of ICTU, giving him a key role in the next pay deal. Carr has achieved the near impossible; he has been even more effective than Joe O'Toole in the Parnell Square hotseat.

That was the general view at the Burlington dinner for INTO president, Austin Corcoran last Friday. In his after-dinner speech, Corcoran hailed Noel Dempsey's move to the Marine as "inspired considering he'd spent 27 months at sea in Education." Ouch!