Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

I wish to raise the important issue of education. I am pleased the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, is present in the Chamber. In particular, I wish to refer to the proposed cuts to DEIS schools, the most disadvantaged schools in the State. I do not know whether the Minister is aware that parents, teachers and entire communities are upset about the proposed cuts and about the damage to education.

I wish to focus my questions on DEIS schools. Does the Minister accept as a core principle that one of the most important ways out of poverty in any country is education? Why then is he taking 428 DEIS teaching posts from 270 primary schools and 163 post-primary schools? Does the Minister understand the damage that will do to those pupils and families? Does he understand the work done in DEIS schools with children at risk and dysfunctional pupils with major problems in their lives? Four year olds come to school every day with huge problems. Does the Minister really understand educational disadvantage? Why is he trying to dismantle a service that has proven to work in the past ten years for the most needy pupils in the State? On the broader issue of education and the economy, many consider that the Minister is penalising those poor pupils for the actions of bankers, developers and politicians. They feel they are taking the rap for the actions of others. There is a gross injustice in that.

The Minister should be careful with his reply to my final question. Does he accept that the Government could be in breach of Article 28.1 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Education Act 1998 by removing those posts from the education service? I accept that a review is being carried out. Many of the Minister's colleagues on the backbenches have major concerns on the matter. Deputy John Lyons made an excellent speech last night. As people have major concerns about this, I urge the Minister to rescind the decision to cut these services to disadvantaged pupils.

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