Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Ross for sharing time. Parents and pupils living in the constituency of Dún Laoghaire have a serious problem because they do not have the choices enjoyed by parents throughout the country when it comes to sending their children to voluntary secondary schools, community schools or VEC schools. Due to a historical overhang and through no fault of their own, many parents have to trump up for their children's education. Many schools in my area did not enter the voluntary system in the 1960s. Therefore, parents are forced to pay in order for their children to access second-level education.

Of course, many parents choose to send their children to privately funded schools. However, many of my constituents have lost their jobs, taken cuts in their salaries, are paying huge mortgages and have paid the household charge.

They are not immune to the recession and quite honestly, many can no longer afford to pay for their children's education.

For example, in Navan town, parents have a choice of four free voluntary schools in the town and they also have access to schools in Dunshaughlin, Trim, Kells and Nobber. In Tuam town, parents have a choice of four free voluntary schools. However, in my area with a population of approximately 107,000, second level pupils have a choice of four to five free voluntary schools in the whole of the Dún Laoghaire constituency area. I also wish to draw the attention of the Minister and to argue on behalf of schools of minority faith in my constituency and throughout the country who, for historical and geographical reasons, will be negatively affected by a pupil-teacher ratio which will be much higher than in other schools. This is unjust and unfair. Parents have paid their taxes on their incomes and they should be able to spend their hard-earned cash on their children's education without their children being subjected to larger classes. I ask the Minister to accept these arguments against any further increase in the pupil-teacher ratio for private schools.

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