Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My youngest boy started in junior infants this year. We are very fortunate because he is in a class of fewer than 30 students. When I look at parents who see their children starting out in school in classes of 39 in junior and senior infants where a number of those students have learning difficulties, it is nothing short of wrong. We must be more proactive in assisting these schools. We know the ratio is one to 28 but it does not always work out that way with enrolments. This school is a case in point.

I am appealing to the Minister of State in the Department to take on board cases like that of Castlehaven national school. I appreciate the Minister of State may not be able to produce a fully qualified teacher this year, and I believe the Minister will make efforts to do that next year. I would ask that, at the very least, help be given to a qualified teacher who would love to get the experience, is waiting in the wings and wants to go into the school but cannot do so because the board of management has said that the INTO is opposed to this. I appeal to the Minister to use his good offices and those of the Department to appeal to the INTO at the very least to give an undertaking not to punish any teacher who allows another teacher to come into the school to get the experience they need. I appreciate the decision was taken at the conference and it probably cannot row back on it for a few months until April 2014. In this case, a teaching principal is in the classroom but there many cases similar to Castlehaven around the country. It is not holding Castlehaven back very much. It was the county finalist in County Cork for two years running. Its achievements are massive. I will use this opportunity to congratulate the Castlehaven team on being the Cork county senior football champions again this year. I am glad to add that Deputy Martin's Nemo Rangers were the victims this time. On a serious note, this is a school and community that deserve the breaks as do many schools and communities throughout the land. I hope the Minister of State will pledge here that he and the Minister will make contact with the union to address this issue.

See this speech in context