Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The policies of the past two to three years implemented by the Minister for Education and Skills, which are designed to increase the pupil-teacher ratio for small rural schools in general, has caused great anxiety across rural Ireland and in two, three, four and five-teacher schools in particular. The policy was announced three years ago as a phased increase in the pupil-teacher ratio and an increase in the thresholds which will be required to retain teachers in such schools. Was this subject raised at the meetings between the Taoiseach and the leaders of the churches? This issue goes to the heart of rural Ireland and the sustaining of rural communities. I have travelled around rural Ireland and there is great concern about the vitality of life in rural communities. There is a sense that the Government is very Dublin-centric, so to speak, and that there is a predominance of a Dublin 4 ethos to the exclusion and the undermining of the needs of rural Ireland. There is a sense among people that rural Ireland is not getting the attention it deserves and nowhere is this more manifest than in the attitude to small schools, the majority of which are located across rural Ireland. There is a range of religious denominational schools in the Border counties.

Was the re-opening of the embassy to the Vatican discussed? The Tánaiste stated recently that he was considering a reversal of that decision. Is the Government considering re-opening the embassy to the Vatican? I ask the Taoiseach to outline what issues relating to the training of teachers were raised by the religious leaders. I refer to proposals relating to Dublin City University, St. Patrick's and the Church of Ireland teacher training college. I ask the Taoiseach to outline whether this proposal was discussed with Archbishop Michael Jackson and Cardinal Brady.

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