Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)

I address my comments to the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, who is not present. I was appalled by a reply she issued to my Question No. 433 on 29 November, which asked for details of the number of schools in Dublin 1, 3 and 7 that have suffered a reduction in resource teachers this school year. The Minister refused to answer the question stating that the specific information was "not readily available". This is simply not credible as it would take the relevant officials a matter of minutes to establish the position. I trust it is not the case that the Minister did not want to know the answer to my question.

The Minister then listed the so-called benefits of the new allocation system for learning support resource teachers. This mechanism fails to recognise the glaring failing in the system, namely, the fact that the allocation is now based on school size rather than the level of need in specific schools. This means that small inner city schools and small disadvantaged schools generally, which have a disproportionately high level of need, lose out. The very schools in which learning support plays a critical role in the educational development of so many children in need are losing out. In these schools resources are essential to give the children any real chance to counteract the social problems, drugs issues and educational deprivation in their living environment.

Additional investment in learning support rather than the removal of resources is what these schools desperately need. This is the reason 14 inner city schools have raised serious concerns on this issue with the Minister's officials. The Minister should meet the principals of the schools in question. I have no doubt she would then accept the real damage the current allocation system is causing and will continue to cause.

Last night I attended a meeting of parents and teachers in the INTO headquarters in Parnell Square. The main hall and surrounding hallways were packed with nearly 400 parents, teachers, principals, child psychologists and so on. Those attending were understandably angry at the inept approach to learning support allocation in so far as it affects small disadvantaged schools with a high level of need. Teachers and parents expressed outrage that at a time of considerable affluence critical resources are being withdrawn from these schools. These resources had begun to make a significant difference to the degree to which the schools in question could help deprived children.

I call on the Minister to address this issue now. The level of need in each of the 14 schools must be known to her Department. If that is not the case, it is time she ensured the relevant information was made available to her. She must also defer any threat to remove resource teachers or reduce resource hours in any small disadvantaged school. Investment in alleviating educational disadvantage must involve increasing resources in inner city disadvantaged schools or it becomes meaningless. How can the Minister even countenance reducing resources in schools serving Sheriff Street, O'Devaney Gardens, Summerhill, Ballybough and Greek Street, to mention just a few areas? Investment in schools in these areas will pay dividends in future.

If the Minister is serious about addressing disadvantage, she will meet the people on the front line of disadvantage, the principals of the inner city schools, and listen to what they have to say. Not only will she not meet them, she will not come into the House to respond to the matter I raise. She is running away from her responsibilities on this issue. She was in the coffee dock 20 minutes ago in full knowledge that I intended to raise this matter on the Adjournment, yet decided to allow another Minister to answer on her behalf. That is a disgrace and shows disrespect to the parliamentary procedures of the House.

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