Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak in support of the Government amendment to this Private Members' motion on education. In political commentary here it is often said that three areas should be protected — social welfare, health and education — but that analysis ignores the fact that those three Departments account for 78% of current gross Government expenditure. The reality is that it is impossible to bring the public finances under control without addressing these Departments but notwithstanding that, the Government, in extremely difficult fiscal circumstances, has safeguarded them to the greatest possible extent. They are the only three Departments that have secured an increased budget for next year. Education has been prioritised.

Every Member in this House is at one on the importance of education in our society. All of our experiences of the education system have shaped us as individuals but the debate on this motion cannot be detached from the reality of a €13.41 billion deficit next year or a €4.7 billion deficit on the current side. That must be addressed.

The Government cannot sustain a situation in the coming years where we have a deficit of 6.5% of GDP. We have no choice but to tackle the issue, and every area will have to make sacrifices, but the Minister has done remarkably well to shield the education sector from the worst of the cuts that were necessary. The education budget is increased by 3.2% or €302 million and by any objective measure, investment in our education system in the past ten years at primary, post-primary, third level and in the emergence of fourth level has transformed the educational landscape for the better.

I am proud of the in-class supports we are providing to special needs children in mainstream schools. A total of 19,000 adults now work solely with children with special needs in our schools. There are 10,000 special needs assistants compared to just 2,000 in 1997. Those supports are unrecognisable from the time I and many Members were in the primary education sector.

Class size is probably the most emotive issue that has emerged in the debate in recent weeks and this covers the decision to increase the ratio from 27:1 to 28:1. My son is in primary education, in first class. He is in a class of 30 and is one of only 20% of pupils who are in classes of 30 or more. That is not ideal. Like every other parent I would like my children to be in the smallest class size possible but I would prefer my son to be in a class of 30 than for this Government to take out a mortgage on his future and the future of every other child in the primary education sector because we did not have the political courage to confront the grave economic situation that persists.

I had occasion recently to visit my former primary school in Passage West. When I was in the school there were 35 students in my sixth class; it was a multi-grade class. The Minister has stated on the record that when resources permit, the Government will review the situation and reduce class sizes further. It is disingenuous to suggest that the enormous progress we have achieved since 1997 is being undone in this budget. That is untrue. The staffing schedule changes that have been announced reverts us to the situation that prevailed in the 2006-07 school year.

The Minister put it on the record last night, and I do not believe it was a political point, that when the Opposition was last in power the pupil-teacher ratio was 35:1. That is not a criticism because ten years ago Ireland was a very different country to what it is today. In the past ten years we have reduced that ratio to 27:1 in very good economic times but we are now faced with a crisis in the public finances and a modest adjustment is being made, increasing the ratio back to 28:1. In the circumstances, that is not an unreasonable sacrifice to ask to be made.

On the primary sector, it has been clarified that 900 new posts will be created for the next school year, with 1,100 being removed by virtue of the measures announced in the budget. There will be 200 fewer primary school teachers on the payroll next year, as there is this year.

I welcome the commitment the Minister has made on the capital budget — an increase of 11% to €889 million. I also welcome his commitment to restore the summer works scheme, review the language support teacher provisions on a case by case basis, and the increase in the capitation rate to €200 per pupil.

Our duty to the children of this country is not limited to the time they spend in our education sector. There is an even greater duty on us as public representatives to ensure we do not cripple their future by allowing the public finances spiral out of control, which would condemn them to a future of high taxes to pay the debts we have generated.

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