Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I apologise, as I was tied up at another meeting and missed some of the presentations. There are many good ideas floating around and I compliment the witnesses on their contributions.

It is disappointing that this problem has been allowed to develop to the point of becoming critical. We have given Dr. Rowland a bit of stick about his plan. Everyone, including him, accepts that there is no substitute for a teacher in the classroom, but his plan is not something that I would dismiss as an idea to address the critical situation facing us.

Ms Irwin put her finger on the issue. We can dance around it, but the reality is that, if we are serious about solving this problem, it will take money. Yesterday, we heard a report about the capitation grant for primary schools and how parents were contributing approximately €46 million per year for basic services like light and heat just to keep our schools open. I will not be political about this, but it comes down to choices that Governments make about which services we value.

Dr. Looney referred to another matter. To use my words rather than hers, there seems to be a vacuum. Judging from the witnesses' contributions, the Department does not seem to be listening to what their organisations have been telling it for a long time. Be it in terms of junior certificate reform or, as Dr. Looney mentioned, religious teaching in former VEC schools, the Department occasionally throws stuff overboard without any consultation or warning.

That exacerbates an existing problem, and it is very frustrating. First, do the witnesses believe they are talking to themselves when they are talking to the Department and how long have they been flagging that this problem was coming down the tracks? Second, regarding substitute teachers, what is their view of a proposal whereby a basic salary would be paid to a substitute teacher? Regardless of the hours they would work, they would be guaranteed a basic salary, which might encourage people to take up the position.

I have two brief final questions, and I thank the Acting Chairman for the latitude. First, if there is goodwill on the part of the Department, what do the witnesses believe is the period of time it will take to address this issue? Second, if each of the witnesses were given one solution outside the financial end of it, which we believe is the critical issue, what would be the key recommendation they believe would have the maximum impact?