Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Ó thaobh na scéime sin, is éard atá i gceist ná scéim do na scoileanna beaga. It is a scheme for the smaller schools. It is a pilot scheme that is being rolled out. It is very targeted and is being run in a variety of places across the country with a view to acknowledging the importance of the small schools whether they operate trí mheán na Gaeilge or through English. It involves schools of a variety of different ethoses. All the schools involved have been identified as small schools and face certain challenges in that respect. The idea is to cluster those schools for a number of years on a pilot basis, giving them the opportunity to work together. There will be comhoibriú and the schools will lean on, learn from and support one another. The role of small schools is of enormous importance to the education sector. The small school makes a considerable contribution to the provision of education but it also has a significant place within the local community. As Minister, it is my intention and that of my Department to ensure and protect the future of the small school.

To do that, we need initiatives such as the one we are introducing. It is a pilot scheme involving small schools supporting small schools in small clusters throughout the country. After the pilot, we will carry out a significant evaluation of what we have learned, the positives and the negatives, to chart a better path forward chun iad a chaomhnú, to conserve them, and to grow and protect them. There is sufficient opportunity within the pilot scheme I have outlined to do that.