Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I support the motion. Last Thursday, I had an opportunity to ask a priority question of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. I decided to ask some questions raised by Barnardos, the children's charity, in its pre-budget submission. These questions were on how issues relating to uniforms, books and cuts in social welfare payments such as the back to school allowance severely affected children in low-income families. The question was ruled out of order. Apparently, these issues and how they affect children are of no relevance to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.

When I read the Barnardos report, I was shocked and outraged by what the children quoted in the submission had to say. I will cite some brief examples. Paul, aged 15 years, stated that he did not have all of his school books because they cost too much and that he hated going to school because he knew that his teacher and others would pick on him. His uniform had not changed since joining secondary school, despite having grown a great deal since then. According to Connor, aged seven years, his mother tells him to put on another jumper, but he is still cold and keeps coughing. The coughing will not go away and he misses a great deal of school because it hurts when he coughs a lot. Grace, aged 13 years, believes that no one in secondary school cares about pupils, only about the right books and uniforms. These despairing voices are children's. They are not being given a chance. This is what it means to be disadvantaged.

This crisis demands action. At a minimum, the Department of Education and Skills must run a properly funded comprehensive school meals programme, not the bits and pieces that we have now. The cuts in the back to school allowance should be reversed. All schools should be forced to operate a book rental scheme and cheap uniform policy. The cut to career guidance counsellors and resource teachers should be reversed. There is an urgent need for specialist help with the emotional and educational needs of children.

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