Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

I too congratulate the Minister on the major award she received last night. I was nominated for heckler of the year but did not perform very well. However, I slept well last night.

We all welcome the 500 extra teachers into the system because they are urgently needed. How many will leave the system at the same time as those 500 are being introduced?

Will the order of the Minister's priorities this year again be disadvantage, disability and class size? Does the Minister know what percentage of the new graduate teachers coming into the classrooms next year will be male? It is important to retain the balance in Irish education and have male role models for the pupils.

Many schools, teachers and parents at clinics and advice centres complain that there is a major crisis for children with disabilities in second level education because the resources do not follow them into that level.

Does the Minister have any plans or constructive proposals on how to stop the drift from some schools which are losing many of their bright pupils? Some schools have become "ghettoised" as the most disadvantaged and poor children seem to end up in one school. We have lost the positive mix we had 20 or 30 years ago. It is dangerous for the future of society to have some elitist schools while others are "ghettoised".

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