Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to raise this issue. I was recently asked to meet the chairpersons and principals of the two national schools in Togher, which are sited on the one campus on the south western side of the city, in an area that was designated as disadvantaged and has many social problems, which manifest themselves in the school population.

Recent changes to RAPID areas have left the schools just outside such an area, and they have lost RAPID status and DEIS status, a double blow. The girls' school, which has an enrolment of 280 children, has lost four teaching posts. It has ten class teachers, losing two concessionary posts it has had since 1986, a home-school liaison post and a language teacher post. A special duties post has been also lost. This has had an enormous effect on pupils and teachers. Will the Minister outline the thinking behind the reduction in these posts for this school?

The area has a lot of social housing and rental accommodation, which attracts a high proportion of non-nationals. This is reflected in the populations of both schools, where almost 30% of students are from a non-English speaking background. The girls' school, however, has only two language support teachers for almost 90 children. Integrating those children who do not speak English into the school population is an impossible task that causes stress for teachers, who are in some cases dealing with class sizes of between 23 and 35. Without the necessary language supports those classes will suffer.

There is no home-school liaison teacher to provide assistance, which has a knock-on effect on parents, who do not get the help and support they need at home. The teachers, principal, chairpersons and board of management are concerned about the impact this will have on the community. We all know the value to a community of a school that is well integrated into that community.

The impact of these cuts on the schools, with four teaching posts being lost in a school that now has ten teachers, is significant. It has a traumatic effect on the school. There will not be a review of DEIS until 2012 and with a growing population and the demographic change, some support must be introduced. The school and the children in it are suffering.

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