Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)

Last Thursday evening in this House a former Minister for Education, when charged with the idea that 1,000 second-level teachers will be lost, said, in essence, that only temporary or part-time teachers will lose their jobs. Tell that to the many people who have been teaching for ten years in a school and have not yet got a permanent position as a teacher. The Minister presides over that and if he can continue to do so, he should, again, consider his position.

The Minister does not seem to realise that the reduction of teacher numbers in schools will inevitably lead to a reduction in subject choices. We mentioned the importance of science subjects, physics and chemistry. Traditionally there are smaller classes for these subjects at honours level to get points for courses for a lifetime afterwards. Schools will have to eliminate many science subjects. Will the Minister preside over a situation where many schools throughout the country will drop chemistry and physics from the curriculum choice?

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