Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

The important point to make is that I share with Deputy O'Mahony an interest in sport. I participated myself and neither I nor other members of the Government wished to take this decision. Unfortunately, it is worth considering what has happened since 2003.

In the 2007-08 school year, the Department paid for 2.05 million hours, or 362,000 days, of substitution cover in primary schools at a cost of €65 million. The projected cost of substitution in 2008-09 is €85 million. In the post-primary sector, the estimated level of substitution cover provided, based on the assumption that the level of usage by vocational education committees will be 56%, is 1.683 million hours, or 382,000 days. This cost €64 million and the projected costs for 2008-09 are €67 million. The level of substitution hours paid in 2007-08 to teachers and casuals in VECs, at €37 per hour, was 1.023 million hours. Moreover, 1.14 million hours were paid for primary schools, costing €56 million. In addition, the cost in the current financial year of expenditure on the supervision substitute scheme is €56 million for primary and €35 million for the secondary community. Moreover, there were 34,000 single day absences for uncertified sick leave.

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