Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and the Minister of State. We heard from them last week. They are becoming regular features here. I will use my time productively. There are four or five issues on which I would like to touch base. Talking about an ethos of secrecy in schools is not helpful or welcome. We all know this is a difficult time for schools, principals and people working in schools. Rather than using my time to point fingers or pigeonhole people, I would like to make a much broader contribution.

First, we unanimously welcome the reopening of schools. In other parts of the world schools and schoolchildren are not as fortunate. That must be pointed out at every opportunity.

I would like to discuss IT in schools. In my 15 years as a teacher I found that broadband or internet capacity varied greatly from one school to another. We have to consider rolling out community broadband initiatives in our schools against the worst-case scenario of further difficulties because of Covid-19 next year. I would welcome the Minister's comment on the possibility of community broadband initiatives based in schools. I know broadband has already been rolled out in some schools.

I welcome the news on school secretaries. Many in my own party have championed this issue. Could the Minister comment on pay and conditions for special needs assistants, SNAs? Will that be addressed in the coming years?

I refer also to the school building programme. The additional funding for capital programmes is very welcome. It highlights a degree of ambition. The education and training board in my constituency of Cork North-Central acknowledges that we are in need of another school in suburban east Cork. I will use this opportunity to mention once again St. Gabriel's Special School, which I mentioned last week. The board of management there has a new chairman. People from the Department of Education need to go down there as a matter of urgency and see the conditions for themselves.

Like previous speakers, I would like to refer to the pupil-teacher ratio. Our greatest tool in the battle against Covid-19 is keeping class numbers down. Consideration should be given to employing teachers on temporary or part-time contracts for the duration of Covid-19 if doing so could further reduce the pupil-teacher ratio. If a package of additional funding for schools in the delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS, programme is being formulated, I hope that will considered as a short-term measure.

Finally, I must mention school transport again. This is my hobby-horse. The Minister said last week that the terms of reference of a review are being drawn up. I want to keep this on the agenda and I hope the Department will follow through on that front. I would appreciate any comment on this matter.