Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this subject and wish to speak about the most vulnerable who are being targeted. While Members may sometimes exaggerate slightly, in this case I make no apologies because it certainly is the case that the most vulnerable children are being targeted this time. The cancellation of mild general learning disability classes has caused enormous problems and concerns for teachers and parents alike. The decision to take away such special classes is akin to snatching medical cards from old age pensioners, except of course the latter had the power to have the decision reversed. While small children do not have such power, perhaps their parents do and perhaps they will vote with their feet on this issue.

Were the Minister present, I would invite him to visit any one of the more than 20 schools in the Dublin 8, Dublin 12 and Dublin 12 postal areas I represent, each of which is losing at least one class and some of which are losing two classes. They all have DEIS status and no one will dispute they are among the most disadvantaged schools, both educationally and socially. I must acknowledge the great work being done by both teachers and parents in such communities, where they are working against the odds. Many of these parents did not have an opportunity and also had learning difficulties or perhaps were obliged to drop out of school. However, they want their children to have a better chance and are fighting for them. While the parents did not have this opportunity, they realise its importance for their own children.

There are four or five reasons it is shameful that this facility is being withdrawn. First, the children who need the support will be the first to lose out. Although they need the additional help, they will not receive it and it can never be made up in future years. However, they will continue to need such help both next year and in the following years. Moreover, if this measure is taken, the other children in the classes into which the children from the special classes will be mainstreamed in turn will lose out. A teacher must spread out his or her time and the layers of time that can be devoted to each child will become increasingly thin, regardless of whether the child is in the mainstream or is coming from the mild general learning disability class. There will be two sets of losers in this regard.

Moreover, in two to five years, these children will move on to second level. The difficulties they will encounter when they so do were pointed out to me by the principal of a second-level school last week. They will come into second level still disadvantaged because they will not have had the special educational needs fulfilled that they had a right to expect. There will be a knock-on effect, the consequence of which will be that either they will fall through the cracks and drop out of school entirely or simply will be completely left behind and at an even greater disadvantage. Again, a further cost will arise in this regard.

The economic saving has been measured as being approximately €7 million. This is a drop in the ocean in the context of the overall economy's financial needs. The Minister should consider the impact and the negativity arising from the withdrawal of this €7 million. Will the Minister agree to reinstate these classes in the coming academic year? The Minister has stated there is a magic number of nine or 11 pupils, depending on circumstances. Why are these classes not being reinstated? The Minister stated in his speech last night that many of the schools involved had not been in touch with him. The schools in Dublin 8, Dublin 10 and Dublin 12 have been in touch with me, whatever about being in touch with him. Moreover, I can assure the Minister that many of them also have been in touch with him as the relevant letters also have been copied to me.

Instead of preaching about the importance of education, to which all Members subscribe, resources should be made available to drive the education facility for those children who need it most, such as the children under discussion. Finally, I repeat my invitation to the Minister, who is not present, to visit even one of the schools in Dublin 8, Dublin 10 or Dublin 12. He should visit a primary school and a secondary school, where he would see the social and educational disadvantage, as well as the efforts the parents and teachers are making to try to ensure their children have a fair deal and a fair chance. I challenge the Minister to visit even one of those schools to see for himself the impact that the withdrawal of this funding is having on those children.

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