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

The reality is that the Government is seeking the closure and amalgamation of many small schools. That is what the Department's policy has been designed to achieve. The Minister may talk about a voluntary protocol, but the protocol the Government has followed has involved cuts to pupil-teacher thresholds such that half of primary schools which have four or fewer teachers have seen posts lost and there has been no reinstatement of these posts where student numbers have increased. Alongside this, we have seen a failure to pay essential grants to these schools, grants which are even more important for smaller schools than for larger ones. That is what the Government has delivered.

The Minister talks about a conversation, communication and agreeing voluntary protocols. At the same time, however, she is saying that if the decision is made to close and amalgamate, funding will not be a problem. That is the first time any of these schools has heard this from the Minister or her predecessor. Only if they decide to close or amalgamate will funding not be a problem. In the meantime, it will be a big problem and they will be starved of resources and teachers. That is the reality. The Minister claims she is not implementing the recommendations made in the review, but, in fact, her intention is to do just as it recommends, namely, deliver the closure and amalgamation of small schools. We need a reversal of the approach which has been the hallmark of the Government in education for the past four years.

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