Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)

I thank the Deputy very much for that. What is happening here is a thundering disgrace. I want to support the motion in the strongest way possible tonight. The Minister is a disgrace. The people who will back him tonight are a disgrace if they do not support this motion. I am asking the people who are thinking of voting for this tonight to vote for the children of Ireland, to vote for our rural schools, to vote for parents, for the teachers, for the principals, for the people who have worked so hard over the years to build up our small rural schools. They are the backbone of our society. They are the backbone of our communities and we do not want to lose them.

If the Minister and the people who are thinking of voting for him tonight go ahead with this, it will be one of the worst attacks that was ever made on rural Ireland. Shame upon them if that is what they do. This was the Government that had choices to make when it took power. What choice did it make? It made a conscious decision to attack the young and vulnerable people of Ireland. I am sorry to see all the empty seats here. It is a shame more Deputies are not here to hear this debate. I am asking the people who are considering voting for the Government tonight, in particular rural TDs, to give up the wishy-washy talk, stand out tonight and vote for this motion. Vote for the children and think of our schools. It is bad enough that we are all banjaxed in Ireland today, but I call on Deputies not to banjax our future generations, not to hurt our children and not to sell them down the river.

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