Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion, the perfect opportunity to assess the record of this Government after nine years gelling together and falling apart. Deputy O'Connor's sterling defence of his record led me to believe we had tabled a motion of no confidence in him. I wish to address this Government's failure to protect children and class size as well as other unfulfilled commitments.

Nothing could highlight incompetence and arrogance better than the attitude of Government to the CC case a few weeks ago. Despite the release of a convicted sex offender from jail, the Taoiseach fled the country and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, reacted with his usual bluster, believing that if he could talk everyone down then he would win the argument. He eventually adopted legislation that he admitted was flawed.

We have heard much about how this Government prioritises child safety but all we have seen is limited action. I questioned the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, on this point earlier today. Some limited progress has been made on vetting but we are nowhere near having a comprehensive response that deals with all those having contact with children. The register of persons considered unsafe to work with children has languished in section C in this House since I was elected in 2002. Rather than reacting to every crisis as it comes along, a real response involves planning, taking responsibility and providing leadership on tough decisions.

The Taoiseach referred to a previous motion by Fine Gael and the Labour Party from 2003. It is a pity he did not examine the record from December 2003 when Fine Gael, with the support of the Labour Party, provided comprehensive solutions to child care, particularly with regard to vetting. Two and a half years later we have seen no action from the Government.

In 2002, Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats pledged to reduce the average class size for children under the age of nine to a ratio of 20 pupils to one teacher. Today more than 111,000 primary school children nationally are now being taught in classes of 30 or more. In 2002 An Agreed Programme for Government stated: "Over the next five years we will progressively introduce maximum class guidelines which will ensure that the average size of classes for children under 9 will be below the international best-practice guideline of 20:1."

This firm promise to reduce class sizes was quickly reduced to a noble aspiration. The latest figures show 287 pupils in classes of 40 or more, 9,863 in classes of 35 to 39 and 101,608 in classes of 30 to 34. There remains only 12 months to reduce the ratio to 20:1 and this cannot be done in time. The overall maximum class size guideline for primary schools is 29 pupils but this is exceeded in schools in all parts of the country. The Government and the Minister have blamed individual schools for these larger classes but this is totally unacceptable. This is a Government cop-out to distract attention from the failure to deliver on the commitment to reduce class sizes.

Some 50% of primary schools across the country have no access to the National Educational Psychological Service and a further 133 schools lost cover between 2005 and 2006. The Minister stated that under the social partnership talks there will be more psychologists by 2009. By 2009 a child in need of assessment could have made the transition from primary to post primary, or out of school altogether. A child might have moved through three different school classes without the needed assessment. The Government entered office in 1997 and is telling some children to wait until 2009, exactly the total length of time a child spends in school.

In 1996 the rainbow Government provided 1,680 places on early start programmes at 40 locations. Since that time there has been zero expansion of the programme despite the talk of child care in pre-school. A positive opportunity has been denied to countless numbers of children.

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform referred to what he sees as issues of contention between Fine Gael and the Labour Party. That would be amusing were it not for the disagreement between the Government parties and within the Government parties. The Minister had to back down on café bars despite telling us he got the deal he wanted. There was disagreement on Aer Lingus, the smoking ban and incineration, at least in terms of location.

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