Jim D'Arcy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh, agus ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a ghabháil don bheirt seo go pearsa as bhúr bpostanna nua agus guím ráth Dé oraibh san obair atá romhaibh.

Senator O'Donnell has raised the issue of literacy and numeracy and the junior cycle and I, too, would like to hear the Minister's views on that. Throughout the country, many people are saying that history should be retained as a core subject. I was in east Belfast lately and heard from people who bemoaned the little amount of history taught at school. Perhaps we are regressing in that regard. I would ask the Minister to consider that in her budget strategy.

The issue of value for money was raised by Deputy McConalogue. It is not possible to make any further decisions on small schools until we have the appropriate information. The matter has been discussed at considerable length. The education and training boards, ETBs, are very important and they are just starting off this year. It is important that they are resourced properly and that they get a discrete capital budget and a discrete summer work scheme. One matter I wish to address in particular - and this was dealt with in the briefing - is that for the third consecutive year non-fee charging schools at primary and post-primary levels were protected. Fee paying schools were also protected last year for the first year in three years. Will that continue?