Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)

The question before the House this morning is, simply, does the education of a child have a price or a value that can be measured beyond its cost? According to the Government it does not. Its attitude is save now and let today's child pay the cost later. What are these costs? I will provide an example. In 1999 an OECD report was carried out in Ireland which showed we had one of the worst literacy rates in the developed world. It revealed that one in every four adults lives with a functional literacy difficulty. That means one in four adults must take a back seat when an opportunity presents. It means one in four adults does not seek promotion, because he or she is afraid of the paperwork involved. It means one in four adults does not get involved in a residents' association, because he or she is afraid to fill in the minutes of the meetings. It means one in four adults dreads the thought of a child coming home on a daily basis looking for help with homework and, because he or she cannot help the child, he or she sees the problem recycling before his or her eyes.

Earlier this year Mr. Larry Fleming of the Irish Primary Principals' Network said eight out of ten primary schools in the Cork area were wasting valuable teaching energy fundraising to keep afloat and to struggle with the 17 cent per child per day capitation grant. On top of this burden, the Government wishes to laden down these parents and teachers with the cost of sending their children to the most overcrowded classrooms in Europe. I received a text message this morning from a person in my constituency in Cork, saying four teachers are to be laid off from a school in Togher.

Earlier this week, I received correspondence from Bishop Paul Colton, a Church of Ireland bishop for the southern region, which was sent to the Minister for Education and Science. Will the Minister respond to this letter? Bishop Colton says that in 1968 there was an agreement with the Government that Protestant schools would not be classified as fee-paying schools, although fees were charged for boarding and other costs, but classified as schools in a free scheme. The classification was appropriate because the schools provide education for Protestants in regions and parts of the country where the State does not. If these schools fold, will the State fund schools under Protestant management? The Minister for Education and Science must address this matter and respond to it when he gets an opportunity.

I recall prior to last year's general election a meeting in the Rochestown Park Hotel attended by Deputy Kathleen Lynch and other Members of the House, including I believe, the now Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. Some 1,400 parents crowded into a room and there was possibly another 1,000 outside the door as they could not fit. They complained about overcrowding in classrooms in Ireland more than one year ago. Today in the House after a decade of unprecedented wealth, the only ambition the Government can show to these parents is that it wishes to put Ireland at the top of the list for overcrowded classrooms across Europe. The cost of overcrowding is not only measured in bricks and mortar or classroom sizes. It has a cost paid throughout the life of a child into adulthood. It not only relates to overcrowded or combined classrooms which is what will result from these measures.

I read in this morning's newspapers a headline about the Green Party possibly pulling out of Government. I was reminded of the line from Shakespeare that children doing the leaving certificate are probably reading today. It states that the lady — or in this case, the Deputy — does protest too much. We will see how this protester manages himself when he goes through the lobbies later today.

One can only question the Green Party's motivation to be in the Government, given what has happened in the last two weeks. Is it that they see the world in cult-like apocalyptic terms on issues such as climate change? Are issues such as medical cards, decent housing and proper education for our children just worldly things that distract us from salvation from climate change? Is that what the Green Party in Government is all about? Is it all about a single environmental issue, or is it here to be part of a Government that represents the broader needs that provide us with a proper environmental society?

The amendment brought before the House by the Minister wants us to accept that the children of our nation be asked to suspend their right to a decent education. He dresses it up by saying that when the economic crisis is resolved, this matter will be examined. He is actually saying that costs must be saved by the children of our nation to pay the price for the incompetency of his Government. That is what this amendment is about. The amendment means that as a child goes along the milestones of development in what should be a journey of lifelong learning, there is a toll to be paid at each milestone from now on.

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