Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. Scoil Náisiúnta Inis Arcáin was below the designated number of eight for the retention of its second teacher on 30 September last, but this number has now increased to ten. This is why I ask the Minister of State to allow the enrolment figure on 30 April to be taken into account before the school would lose its second teacher. It is unfair to write the rules in a circular issued after the qualifying date. The most up to date figures could be used before the circular has a very drastic and negative impact on life on Sherkin Island.

Typically islanders have been dealt with favourably, and the Minister of State is aware of this, with regard to social protection and payments from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, in an effort to progress, promote and incentivise local people contributing to island life. In this regard I appeal to the Minister of State to consider the negative impact this would have. I would not expect the Minister of State to allow a school with four, five for six pupils to benefit because I know the line must be drawn somewhere. Schools which dropped to such numbers would not be sustainable and would be detrimental to the students themselves. In this particular case the school is making an effort to bring in students and it is doing so. If it loses a teacher it will never get that second teacher back. The island has a population of 114 so the idea of coming up with 20 national school students is a bridge too far. It will remain cut off and it will have a very negative effect for the school and the general population of the island as it will suck the life from the island. It is not like the mainland where there are options. I agree with the Minister of State that some options, such as amalgamation, are not available. I thank the Minister of State for his response.

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