John Cregan (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak to the amendment tonight. At the outset, I welcome the appointment of my colleague, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, an appointment I believe is long overdue. I have no doubt that he will leave his mark in a very positive fashion during his tenure as Minister for Education and Science.

In particular, since he comes from a rural constituency and represents rural people and schools, I welcome the fact that the Minister attended a rural primary school. I hope and appeal to him to ensure that we can continue investment in our rural schools over the coming years. That is very important. We have needs to meet in urban centres but, equally, we have needs to meet in rural centres throughout the length and breadth of the country.

Unfortunately, because of the economic situation, we saw a situation whereby the summer works scheme and the devolved grants scheme had to be abandoned, for want of a better word. Both of the schemes were very positive and of huge importance to rural schools to improve accommodation. It is very important that we continue to improve accommodation throughout the country, particularly in our rural schools. I thank the Minister for visiting my constituency last weekend. We have a very serious problem with accommodation in Kilfinnan national school. I again appeal to the Minister to make every effort to ensure that this problem can be overcome in the shortest possible space of time because the people have been patient and need to have their project moved on.

It is fair to say that any of us who find ourselves in a tight economic situation are faced with priorities. I will be honest. I do not want to be confrontational but it is important to be honest when we have debates such as this. All of us have to make priorities when the resources which were there in previous years are not there. It is very easy to govern and be a good Minister and all things to all people when one has plenty of money and resources. Unfortunately, the Minister has found himself in a situation whereby those resources are not as plentiful as they were in previous years.

The Government has decided to make priorities. I welcomed the commitment in the programme for Government to continue the reduction in class sizes. It is an important aspect of ensuring that we improve our education system because overcrowding in classes is not good for teachers, pupils or anybody. We must be honest and say that we cannot always live in ideal situations or in the ideal world. While that aspect needs to be addressed, and the Minister is on record tonight as saying that it will be addressed during the lifetime of the Government, I will roll back five or six years to when a similar downturn in the economy occurred in the days when Charlie McCreevy was Minister for Finance and each Department had to curtail its spending.

Despite that, during the five years of the last programme for Government, the Government managed to deliver on all promises made. I am very proud of that fact and have no doubt that during the five years of this Government's lifetime, it will continue and deliver on the promises made, be they in education or in any other Department. I am quite confident that this will happen.

Again, I appeal for honesty from the other side of the House. When Fianna Fáil set out its election manifesto prior to the last general election, at all times, the Taoiseach or any Minister or Member who spoke stated that what was in that manifesto or what would be in the programme for Government would be dependent on the economic position of the day. On the Opposition benches, Deputies Kenny and Rabbitte and others rightly said the very same thing. They said they would put their priorities in a manifesto initially and, if elected, in a programme for Government. One then looks at the economic situation and is honest with the people. One tells them that we do not have enough money and must prioritise and that we would love to deliver upon what we have promised and will do so when times get better. That is exactly what the Minister and Government are saying. It is important to recognise that because it is no different for any other party.

Reference was made to the retention figure. It is also important to be honest and acknowledge that this figure is agreed by all the partners in education. It is important to point out that it was not a figure that the Minister, his predecessor, Deputy Mary Hanafin, or anybody else plucked out of the sky and decided that this was going to be the cut-off point.

The September date has been mentioned. Perhaps it is wrong or unfair. I do not know. Again, this is the agreed date. Of course, it seems cynical. One takes a teacher out in the month of September and the numbers go up again the following year when a teacher, perhaps a different teacher, goes back in. That is the biggest issue I have with that because, obviously, teachers might have to leave one school and take up a post in another school and it might be discommoding for them. That is being honest about the situation. It is very important to recognise that this date is agreed by all the partners involved in education. Trade unions and everybody else who has an input has agreed that. One must have a cut-off point.

I acknowledge that we have had serious and unprecedented investment in education over the past number of years and why not when we could afford it? We all go on record as saying that if we do not have the good and solid foundation of a good education for our children starting at primary schools, we have nothing. I am quite proud of the record of Fianna Fáil-led Governments over the past number of years. When the resources were there, they were spent and were not spared across all the different aspects of education, from primary schools to second and third level education and onwards.

Tonight, the issue is about class sizes and primary schools and I respect that. I would love it if the Government was in a position financially to say that it could honour its commitment. We honoured our commitment in 2007-08 and I have no doubt that when things take a turn for the better financially, we will go on to honour our commitments next year and in future years. At the end of those five years of Government, people can stand up and say that the Government did not implement what was in the programme for Government over the lifetime of the Government and I will accept that. What I cannot accept are accusations being made that this did not happen in the first, second and third years. It is not so long ago that allegations were made with regard to a promise in a previous programme for Government to increase the number of gardaí on the streets.

It is fair to say that after five years in Government, that commitment was met. We were accused in years one, two, three and four that we were not doing it but it was done by the end of the five years. I hope and feel confident, given what the Minister has said, that he will be totally committed to improving every aspect of education. It must be balanced between rural and urban schools. We must take account of the schools that need temporary accommodation immediately, which is as important as any class size. For the school that needs permanent accommodation, that need is as important as any class size. There are schools with other needs, which have their own priorities and it is important that the Minister recognises those priorities in the context of the limited resources available.

We can drive on forward, together, ensuring balance between rural and urban, between adequate accommodation and optimal class sizes, as well as meeting the needs of our special needs children, in which this Government has a very proud record in recent years. More must be done, of course. I accept that fully, but the points I have just made are relevant. We must have balance in what we do. I fully support the Minister and am confident that he will deliver on class sizes, accommodation and the other aspects, when the necessary resources are available.

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