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

I am not particularly worried about who commissioned the report. I am concerned about what it contains and what the Minister will do about it. Anyone can commission a report, but the Minister is responsible for how he leads the education system and treats our smaller schools. What we have seen from him has been a reduction in schools' capitation and the removal of the minor works grant, although the latter was given a temporary reprieve this year. Under his stewardship, the number of pupils needed by schools to retain their teacher numbers has been increased every year. According to today's Irish Independent, one in five schools is concerned about whether it will be able to retain its number of teachers. The Minister professes publically that he does not wish to close schools at a time while he is making it more difficult for them to exist. He is creating a double jeopardy. By allowing a question mark to hang over schools, parents of children who are now starting out are wondering whether their children will be able to complete their primary education in those schools.

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