Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)

Yes, it is spontaneous. I received a letter from Loreto Convent in Mullingar which outlines that the cutbacks will mean the loss of two teachers, larger class sizes, restricted choice of subjects for students, difficulty providing separate classes for higher, ordinary and foundation level in key subjects, a reduction in language support hours and no substitution. What does no substitution actually mean? It means that there will be no cover for teachers who are on uncertified sick leave or on official school business, for example, at football matches, on field trips to the theatre and so forth. At least two teachers must accompany students to such events in order to comply with health and safety legislation, and rightly so, as well as to comply with insurance obligations. Therefore, such trips will no longer be possible under the current cutbacks because, at Loreto Convent, for example, the teachers would each leave behind up to 30 students for each class period, of which there are nine. That equates to 270 students per teacher, or 540 students without adult supervision during the school day. According to the letter writer, the decision of the Government will have a devastating impact on numerous curriculum related activities in the school and will put an end to the provision of a magnificent range of extra-curricular activities which is such a celebrated feature of the school. As well as all of that, the book grant for eligible students will be abolished, school transport charges will increase and any increase in the capitation grant will be cancelled out by the loss of grants for transition year, leaving certificate applied, home economics, physics, chemistry, Traveller education and for the choirs and orchestra.

A similar situation will pertain at St. Finian's College, the CBS in Mullingar and every national school in the area. I also received a letter from the most reverend Dr. Richard Clarke, the Bishop of Meath and Kildare, who is involved with Wilson's Hospital School. He maintains that voluntary Protestant rural schools appear to have been specifically targeted by the withdrawal of support services grants, mid-year, which amounts to a mid-year budgetary seizure of resources. The removal of State grants to Wilson's Hospital School will mean the loss of €125,000 of its funding. The school was hoping to celebrate 250 years of existence in 2011. However, Dr. Clarke writes that it is "not being melodramatic" to say that it may now, genuinely, not be able to do so. He goes on to say that if the Government wishes to withdraw its commitment to denominational education, it is free to do so, but the destruction of schools such as Wilson's Hospital School, which is not a socially elitist establishment and which is very liberal in its enrolment policy for those of traditions other than the Church of Ireland, is shameful, particularly without even the courtesy of consultation.

I could go on but if the Minister for Education and Science wants a summary of the impact the cuts will have, he should read the article by Colm O'Rourke in the Sunday Independent last week. That article encapsulates the exact impact of the cuts. I salute Mr. O'Rourke, who normally writes a sports article, for using his column to point out the negative impact the cuts will have on the future of our school children. It is time for the Minister to reverse the engines.

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