Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Brendan Smith for tabling this motion. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. As the Deputy of a predominantly rural constituency, with 14 schools with four teachers or fewer in Offaly, I support the ethos, dedication, commitment and quality of education in these schools. They are vital cogs in, and an integral part of, our communities. They have been allowed to continue to prosper in the delivery of education to children. I was interested in the comments of the Minister last night. The contents of budget 2012 pertaining to education have been debated in successive motions in recent weeks. With the help of his colleagues, Deputies Jim Daly and Keaveney, the Minister sought to politicise the argument in favour of cuts in education. This motion follows on motions in previous weeks concerning cuts in DEIS schools, cuts in career guidance counsellors and increases in pupil-teacher ratios in one-teacher, two-teacher, three-teacher and four-teacher schools. This discriminates against rural Ireland, schools in Gaeltacht areas and minority faith schools. The Minister stated he did not want to see or contemplate amalgamation. He did not want to see or contemplate school closures but he would contemplate them if they were put under his nose. He would facilitate and help them through the process. This was supported by Deputy Jim Daly when he spoke, saying that he would welcome a situation where one school would replace a cluster of schools, despite having stated moments earlier that his rural school would not be affected. It seems it does not matter once it is not in his constituency. This appears to the mantra of many Deputies. When the Minister saw fit to politicise this debate, he saw fit to say his hands were tied and he was led by the troika. He said he had to make cuts in education and predicates all his answers on education with this mantra.

He, his party or his partners in Government had no such predications when they sought election. They campaigned on the basis that they would not pay bondholders, which was their first U-turn. They campaigned on the basis that they would not increase pupil teacher ratios, which was their second U-turn. They campaigned on the basis that there would be no increase in third level fees, another U-turn. They campaigned on the basis that the severe cuts to pay and social welfare which were made by the previous Government would be reversed, something which was not carried out and therefore is a U-turn. The Minister and party campaigned on the basis that they would reverse the universal social charge, another U-turn.

In the course of his speech the Minister condemned Deputies for seeking to divide urban and rural societies. I can assure the Minister he can take full credit for that. He proposed cuts to DEIS schools and measures which will lead to school closures. He will leave secondary schools without career guidance counsellors. He increased the cost of rural school transport, not by 10%, 15% or 70% but by 100%. He decreased student grants and insisted that farm buildings be assessed for those applying for student grants. These kinds of actions are creating the divide he talked about.

In his speech yesterday the Minister reverted to another favourite mantra, attacking Fianna Fáil and its record on education. We have no problem in meeting that attack head-on. When the Minister spoke in that regard he failed to say that since 1997 Fianna Fáil invested €180 million in 4,000 rural schools. He did not mention that Fianna Fáil doubled the number of rural teachers since 1997. The Government should check the information.

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