Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)

Despite Government commitments to reduce class sizes, more than a quarter of all pupils in primary schools are still in classes where the number of pupils exceeds 30. That accounts for more than 100,000 children. This State has the second largest class size at primary level in the EU. The corresponding figure for Kerry in 2007 was 21%. When one compares this economy, which has enjoyed unprecedented economic growth and wealth during the past 15 years, to that of a Third World economy such as Cuba, one must note that its target class size of 15 pupils is almost met in most cases. The benefits of such a class size to a child in terms of education cannot be more striking than in Cuba. The fact that we cannot reach that target or even a class size of under 30 pupils is an indictment of how money is being spent in this economy.

Funding for primary education here also lags behind other member states of the EU, being only 70% of the EU average. According to recent surveys, eight out of ten schools fundraise to meet their daily running costs. Many schools find that Government funding covers only 50% of the school's basic costs. I doubt if there is a Deputy in this House who is not involved in helping boards of management or parents to raise funds for their respective primary schools. That is not right. Given economic growth, it is shameful that parents, pupils and teachers must collect money to meet the running costs of schools. It is an indictment on the system.

Because of these problems and parents' concerns regarding primary schooling, we witness parents queuing up with their infants to secure places in a school which they believe will cater for them. However, even that is no insurance, as we witnessed last year where demographic changes meant that schools in certain areas were unable to cope with the demands placed upon them. This is especially the case in growing urban centres coping with the pressure of development where there is a lack of proper infrastructure to provide schools and allocate teachers. In recent years this pressure has been added to by the increase in the number of non-nationals or immigrants — the new Irish, as we call them.

With primary school pupil figures expected to climb to 500,000 by the end of 2009, the Government needs to treat as a matter of urgency the issue of class sizes. The current scenario of pupils being taught permanently in prefabs, which occupy school yard space, in class rooms that are run down, in converted toilets and PE halls — or having to travel miles to a school with adequate space — is completely unacceptable. According to a recent reply to a parliamentary question by the former Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, she was not even aware of the number of schools currently using prefabs. I urge the Minister to make such statistics available.

A number of years ago the then Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Dempsey, published a list of all school buildings which included priority ratings and indicative dates for construction. This allowed schools to track the progress of their applications, but now no indication is given in this respect. Many of us are all too familiar with that, given the number of questions tabled to the Minister requesting such information.

We are also aware that the issue in this motion is addressed daily. Two of the schools listed in the motion, Scoil Eoin in Tralee and Scoil Mhuire in Killorglin, are in my county, the former being in the constituency of Kerry North. Unfortunately, they are not the only primary schools facing this and other problems. I recall debates prior to the 2002 general election when all sorts of promises were made. Prior to the general election last year, in debates on school facilities, allocation of teachers and calls for a reduction in the pupil-teacher ratio, all sorts of promises were again made, but they have been reneged upon.

Scoil Eoin was referred to in the north Kerry area plan drawn up last year by the Commission on School Accommodation. It was noted that while the school was very carefully maintained, 54% of pupils were accommodated in prefabricated buildings that were 20 years old, while 24% of pupils were accommodated in a building constructed 46 years ago which had not been modernised. A further 22% of pupils were accommodated in a building that was 86 years old, and part of it was 116 years old, which had not been modernised.

With the projected steady increase in the number of pupils seeking places in this school, something needs to be done urgently to address the situation. Scoil Eoin has the largest number of primary pupils in the County Kerry. The loss of a teacher in any school causes great difficulties on many levels and in large towns these challenges are multiplied. The system of judging class sizes based on enrolment on 30 September is grossly misrepresentative of the true picture. Scoil Eoin had 567 pupils enrolled on 30 September 2007, but by November 2007, only six weeks later, the number of pupils had increased to 578. Such increases in enrolments are replicated throughout the country, with more pupils being enrolled after 30 September. The cut-off date of 30 September has a major impact on schools, because the number enrolled can drastically increase in a short period following that date.

A similar urgency attaches to the addressing of accommodation needs in Scoil Mhuire, Tralee Educate Together and other schools in Ballybunion, Listowel, Tarbert, Ballylongford and elsewhere in the north of the county. Many of the problems relate to the perceived lack of future capacity of schools to cope with increased numbers. Adequate staffing levels are a crucial element. One of the schools referred to in the report, the O'Brennan national School in Ballymacelligott, found itself in the ridiculous position last year of paying €1,200 per month to hire prefabs because of the delay in initiating renovation and reconstruction of the school. Such expenditure is replicated in many other schools. School authorities pay out such dead money when it should be invested in putting a proper structure in place which would resolve the problem.

There are ongoing problems with the building of a national school in Blennerville, which is a disgrace. Prior to the general election last year the headlines in the local newspapers read "Fianna Fáil deliver", "Money allocated to build new school in Blennerville", "Site located" and so forth. Elected representatives were invited to a meeting a number of weeks ago, attended by the parents, teachers and everybody else in the area with an interest in the issue. At the meeting, the audience was told quite categorically that the issue was not on the immediate agenda. People were hugely disappointed as a result. Three Fianna Fáil county councillors at the meeting said they were both embarrassed and ashamed by the Government's actions with regard to building the school.

I urge the Minister to revisit all the promises made before the election and to live up to the responsibility to provide proper facilities and an adequate number of teachers to provide education to our children. Money could not be better spent than on education. The lower the pupil-teacher ratio, the better the attention for both teacher and pupils. Proper facilities should be a given. We should not have to stand here begging the Government to invest in our children's future. With money in the coffers of the Exchequer, there is no excuse for the failure of this and previous Governments to meet this need. It is a disgrace. I hope this Minister will take a hands-on approach, unlike the previous Minister, on the issues I have raised.

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