Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. What are the Government's thoughts on small schools? He indicated that the value for money report is due to go to Cabinet in the coming weeks. However, its recommendations and findings need to be used to support small rural schools and not as a rationale for closing them. I would like an assurance from the Minister of State that he does not wish to close any school and that he will not introduce a policy similar to those the Government has introduced previously such as increasing the pupil-teacher ratio in small schools, as this will lead to the forced amalgamation of schools. A few weeks ago, the Minister for Education and Skills indicated in Sunday newspaper reports that the value for money report was likely to opt for 80 pupils as the optimum minimum for a school to operate, which is worrying and concerning, as was the tone of the Minister's conversation around this, which did not indicate any sense of opposition from him to anything that might jeopardise small schools. Almost one third of our primary schools or 1,000 schools are in the category with an enrolment of less than 80 pupils. I would like the Minister of State to assure these schools that they will continue to be supported and that the Government does not have an underhand agenda to close them.

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