John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Brian Hayes for tabling this motion. I congratulate the Minister on his appointment and wish him well.

Last year we had a crisis in schools because of water charges and a few months later some national schools are engulfed in a crisis of cuts in staff numbers. The importance of a first-class primary education cannot be stressed enough because it is the foundation of all further education and the period in which lifelong aspects of personal character are initiated and shaped. A well educated population has been the cornerstone of our economic success. Investment in education has delivered a well educated, highly confident and motivated population well equipped to take advantage of the opportunities in the global economy. After last year's election the agreed programme for Government promised to reduce class size. Specifically, the Government said that class sizes were to be reduced in 2008-09 and over the following three years.

I am delighted that people from Rathcormac national school are here this evening. On 30 September last year the school had 229 children on the roll, in line with the expected retention figure as outlined in the Government's commitment to reducing class sizes, but recent U-turns by the Fianna Fáil-led Government has decreed that this enrolment figure is not high enough to retain all current staff members. As a result of the Government decision not to honour its commitment to reduce class size each year over the next three years, Rathcormac national school has been informed that one teaching post is to be suppressed on 31 August. Once more, the Government has broken its promise to the parents of school-going children and let down the children. My son attends a class of 34 students so I speak with knowledge.

School enrolment figures are set to rise in Rathcormac national school for the foreseeable future. Next September it is expected that 233 pupils will attend the school. If the school must reduce the number of teachers by one in August 2008, this year's expected increase in pupils will mean that the school will be entitled to appoint a teacher in September 2009. It is absurd that the school will lose a teacher because of the number of pupils in the school on 30 September last year, yet class sizes are projected to go up in the current year. The school will have more pupils and one fewer teacher to teach them. The suppression of this post will have serious repercussions for the school. Not only will the school lose a teacher with a wealth of experience and expertise in the area of special education, it will be forced to replace her with a teacher who has responsibility for a mainstream class. The obvious knock-on effect will be larger classes. I urge the Minister to review the decision and not reduce the number of teachers in Rathcormac national school.

It makes no economic sense to fire a teacher in August 2008 and reappoint another teacher in September 2009. A little flexibility and common sense is required in the case of Rathcormac national school. The educational needs of the pupils of this country demand that the Fianna Fáil-led Government should honour its commitment in all aspects of primary education. It must increase capitation grants and it should preserve the capital investment programme and reinstate the summer works scheme. Otherwise, parents will be driven back to endless local fundraising to ensure the best education for their children. These steps are essential requirements so that teachers are provided with the best possible circumstances within which to deliver a first-class primary education to the young people. I ask the Minister to intervene in the Rathcormac national school situation.

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