Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)

In last year's general election people voted for change. However, rural communities have endured cuts that threaten their way of life and long-term viability. The staffing schedules for small schools that were announced in December's budget are an example in this regard and there are understandable fears that changes in respect of schools with four or fewer teachers will force some of them to amalgamate or even close. The threat to small schools comes at a time when community centres, sports clubs, GAA halls, small post offices, local shops, Garda stations and rural pubs have been forced to close. Combined with the forced emigration of thousands of young people, it is clear that essential aspects of rural life are being lost, possibly for ever.

In the midst of the current financial crisis, small rural schools - in the context of their serving as places of learning which protect the social cohesion of the communities they serve - are more important than ever. A one-size-fits-all strategy is insufficient to meet the needs of Irish children. Our education system must be sensitive enough to meet the diverse demands of the country and its rural inhabitants.

When the grand secretary of the Orange Order, Mr. Drew Nelson, delivered an historic address to the Seanad, he made a number of points with which I would disagree. However, I concur with him in respect of one matter, namely, that one of the greatest challenges faced by Protestant communities is the threat to minority faith-based schools. This threat is illustrated by the fact that only 12 of the 26 counties have Protestant secondary schools of any description and that there are only six non-fee-paying Protestant second level schools, three of which are located in Dublin and Wicklow. Five out of every eight schools in the diocese of Ferns are said to be under threat. Recently, a Church of Ireland school in Killegney, which is near Enniscorthy, was closed after 107 years in operation. Only two years ago, €250,000 was invested in transforming the latter into a state-of-the-art facility.

The Protestant community in this State is widely dispersed. As a direct result, children are obliged to travel many miles in order to attend their nearest faith-based schools. Closing minority schools will only make matters worse and parents will be prevented from sending their children to a school of their choice which reflects their own religious ethos as a result of the long distances involved. If we are really serious about contributing to a pluralist, multicultural society, then it is vital proper protection and supports are put in place to ensure the future viability of schools serving minority denominations.

Equally, the unique challenges faced by gaelscoileanna mean that they must also be treated sensitively in order to secure the future of an teanga Gaeilge as a vibrant, working language. Changes to pupil-teacher ratios and staffing schedules have had a profound impact on Gaeltacht schools. This, in turn, threatens to undermine the 20-year strategy for the Irish language. There is mounting concern that many gaelscoileanna, which have been hit hard with changes to their staffing schedules and the ending of preferential pupil-teacher ratios, may be forced to close. This will undermine the development of the Irish language and will ensure that much of the progress that has been made will be lost for ever. To compound matters further, the geographic information system, GIS, to which the Minister of State referred last evening and which the Department uses to calculate school numbers is flawed when it comes to tracking children who are attending or who want to attend gaelscoileanna. Funding for trainee teachers who wish to attend Irish language courses in the Gaeltacht has also been hit and it is clear that plans to establish an Irish training college are in the doldrums.

We need an education system that safeguards, develops and nurtures not only our native language but also - in a proactive manner - the diversity and educational aspirations of parents and their children. Clearly, then, any evaluation of the viability of schools cannot be based on cost alone. Other criteria such as the quality of the educational experience, ensuring stable enrolment trends, the financial position of schools, availability of transport links, physical accessibility, geographic location, language considerations, patronage and the maintenance of strong ties with the community must also be considered. I welcome the positive work that is to be carried out by the advisory group to the forum on patronage and pluralism, which has been tasked with divesting patronage throughout the State. The making or breaking of this endeavour will rest on the availability and provision of sufficient resources.

I also welcome the work being done by the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, and his Northern counterpart, Mr. John O'Dowd, MLA, in developing cross-Border co-operation in an effort to meet the real challenges of people who live in the Border region. The survey that is due to be carried out later in the year - part of which encompasses the possibility of encouraging parents to send their children to the schools nearest to their places of residence along the Border - is to be welcomed. Some people have already expressed concern at this development but I do not foresee this initiative posing any threat to small or medium-sized schools or local communities. With rural communities facing the threat of cuts which may force the closure or amalgamation of many small schools, a number of options must be considered. The type of cross-Border co-operation to which I refer may help to secure the future of minority faith-based communities in the Border region. Those who live in these communities must be given the option of sending their children to a school of their religious denomination.

I thank Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan for introducing this important Bill.

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