Theme:   PACCS – 25 Years on.

The twenty fifth annual conference of PACCS which was held in Tipperary Institute was officially opened by Mary Mullarkey, President of ACCS.  She congratulated PACCS on marking a quarter of a century of involvement in Irish Education.  She also congratulated our founders for their foresight in establishing PACCS and commended the delegates on giving up their weekend to be present at the Conference.  She referred to the changes which Ireland was going through, particularly in the 70s.  We saw the free education and the shift in economic concentration and finally in 1973 Ireland became a member of the European Community.  Membership precipitated the enactment of a substantial body of legislation which in turn had huge implications for Irish society and the education system.