Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this important issue. Woodford Mercy College has developed a high standard in education at second level. However, the cutbacks introduced in the budget will have a severe impact on the delivery of its educational programmes. For the past several years, this school has had disadvantaged status but, as a consequence of the cutbacks, it will lose 3.81 teachers. That represents a severe blow to a school with a staff of 24 teachers. The cuts to the school's funding will total more than €20,000 per annum. As the school's intake dipped slightly for the academic year 2007-08, it faces the loss of an additional 1.8 teachers. In total, the school will lose 5.4 teachers.

Despite building up a strong reputation, the school experienced problems last year in retaining its home-school liaison teacher. The Department ultimately agreed to fund this teacher but the money is now gone. Some 30 of the school's 230 students receive individual support for special needs of one kind or another. When the Minister for Education and Science recently addressed the Joint Committee on Education and Science, he agreed to give special attention to schools which are experiencing serious hardships as a result of the cutbacks. The school will lose a book grant worth €5,140, a transition year grant of €3,500, an LCA grant worth €1,431, an enhanced capitation grant of €8,493, a special subjects grant worth €1,417 and a home economics grant worth €4,119, for a total of more than €20,000. This school has developed various fundraising activities in order to maintain its quality of education but this is a step too far. The Minister should give his attention to the serious crisis the school will face from September 2009.

Like other schools, substitute teaching will become a serious problem for this school from January. The school's teachers have gone to tremendous efforts to develop debating and dramatic activities. Despite coming from a small rural school, the students and teachers have excelled in these areas.

The school is located in a CLÁR area. I cannot express the serious consequences the loss of 5.4 teachers would bring. The school will not be able to perform at the levels it achieved in the past nor will it be able to give a fair chance to students who want to attend third level education. In view of this I repeat my plea to request the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, to re-examine this case because the school has lost its disadvantaged status. There is a blip in the numbers this year and the school will suffer severely as a consequence. No Minister or Government should allow this to take effect from January and leading to the academic year beginning in September 2009.

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