Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)

The letter continues:

And I could go on. One does not like the increase in registration fees, even in the current economic circumstance. However this is nothing compared to my views on the reintroduction of third level fees. But I suppose I will finish with the decision to amend substitution cover for absences arising from uncertified sick leave in all schools, as well as for school business absences in post-primary schools. This needs to be reviewed. I have not been able to work out how much will actually be saved here in not employing substitutes without certification. But if one assumes it will cost no more than €5 million annually, what about the loss to the educational welfare of our children? By all means investigate absenteeism but come back next year with a more focused proposal that does not affect front line services.

To briefly break from reading the letter to the Minister, I am sure all of us as Deputies have been receiving e-mails about how these frontline services will be cut according to the schools in question. There is an element of pressure but there is also a real truth behind those figures.

I return to the letter:

The amount of savings referred to above by my calculations comes to an approximate total of €184 million. I do not have the information to be entirely accurate, but assuming the general thrust is correct, would you not agree, Minister O'Keeffe, that if funding can be found elsewhere, these cutbacks could and should be reversed?

See this speech in context