The new Minister for Education says she is pressing ahead with the implementation of changes to the Junior Certificate cycle.

Jan O'Sullivan says she will be meeting teachers representatives and other stakeholders to discuss the reform.

The first changes are due to come into effect at the beginning of the next school year in September.

Minister O'Sullivan intends to stick to the existing timetable of reform.

Her predecessor, Ruairí Quinn, announced details in January of the reformed Junior Cert - or Junior Cycle Student Award (JCSA).

It has seen teachers unions stage protests. They say their concerns about marking papers from their own students are not being listened to.

Earlier this year, some 27,000 teachers held lunchtime protests across the country.

Meanwhile Minister O'Sullivan also says she will not force any small schools to close.

However, she told Newstalk Lunchtime she may hold discussions with some smaller rural schools about amalgamation - if there is another nearby.