Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for allowing me raise this matter and I thank the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills, Deputy Ciarán Cannon, for being here. As he is aware, I have been in close contact with the staff of St. Oliver Plunkett's national school in Clonmel in recent months. Like a number of other schools in my constituency, it was concerned about future staffing levels following the announcement of budget 2012. St. Oliver Plunkett's national school is one of many around the country that currently has two legacy posts under the disadvantaged areas scheme. The Minister of State will be aware that as a result of the announcement last December, the school was due to lose both posts in the 2012-13 academic year. While staff at the school were delighted to hear on 21 February that following careful analysis by the Department of the impact of budget measures on disadvantaged primary schools the Government had agreed to the retention of 235 legacy disadvantaged posts in DEIS band 1 and band 2 primary schools, St. Oliver Plunkett's national school was, unfortunately, informed on 7 March that it would not retain its two legacy posts for the 2012-13 academic year. The principal has been in contact with the Department and has explained that the school fulfils the criteria for retention of these posts, namely, it is a DEIS band 1 school as listed by the Department in the schools support programme in respect of which it has two concessionary disadvantaged posts. A number of other schools around the country wherein this situation is replicated have had proposed cuts reversed.

Perhaps the Minister of State will explain the reason this school has been informed it will lose its two legacy posts despite the announcement made in February and despite that other schools in similar situations have retained their posts. I am sure he is aware that St. Oliver Plunkett's national school was omitted from Appendix C and from the list of schools in the final section of the report when published. When the principal raised this with the Department at the time, he was told to wait for official written notification on the matter, which was due on 7 March. Perhaps the Minister of State will detail the reason for this omission and say if it led to the school being informed it was to lose these two posts. I am also interested in hearing if the Minister of State is aware of any other schools which were omitted from the report.

I am sure the Minister can understand the concern among the staff and parents of children attending St. Oliver Plunkett's national school. I urge him to ensure this situation is resolved. It is unfair and wrong for one school to be singled out, in particular given the standard of education and record of the school concerned.

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