Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and congratulate him on his appointment. I look forward to working with him constructively for the betterment of all sectors of education.

My questions will be on the renting of prefabs. Between 2011 and 2015, the Department spent €83 million on prefab rental. Although there is a prefab replacement period, only 217 schools qualified: 209 primaries and eight post-primaries. Given the overall number of schools that applied, this is a low qualification level. Learning or teaching in a prefabricated building is difficult, be it in winter or in the hot weather of last week. It is unsatisfactory. Above all, the rent is a major waste of money. It is dead money. Some companies are doing well out of it, but there is no benefit to the educational sector, as prefabs do not last.

Scoil Aonghusa in Cashel, Tiobraid Árann, is a wonderful institution. The Minister is familiar with Tipperary for different reasons. He came down there fadó fadó chun bean chéile as Cluain Meala a fháil. I wish them both well. It is good to see them happy. The odd time when the Minister visits Clonmel, maybe he will stop in Cashel at my invitation to visit that wonderful institution. For 12 months, Scoil Aonghusa sought a meeting with the previous Minister concerning severe cuts to necessary services. The school needs a bit of help, understanding and appreciation. Its board and staff would appreciate a visit if the Minister could fit one into his schedule.

Gaelscoil Chluain Meala used to be located in an old council building that was closed in 1988. Tá siad ag fanacht ar scoil nua ar feadh deich mbliana nó dhá bhliain déag. There has been a great deal of lobbying. While a site has been acquired, the procurement of which I was involved in with the late Minister, Brian Lenihan, progress on the school building has been very slow. It is a wonderful school with a large enrolment. Ours is one of the only towns in the country that also has a gael meanscoil. This issue must be addressed.

To be parochial again, an amalgamation is under way idir scoil na mbuachaillí agus scoil na gcailíní i gCathair Dhún Iascaigh, but it has taken nearly half a century to progress. It has definitely taken a quarter of a century. I hope that, with the Minister's interest in and connections with Tipperary, he might be able to give us a small bit of cabhair leis na rudaí mar sin.

On education generally, we have the Estimates and the Minister can prove that a great deal of money has been allocated. I welcome the announcement of extra special needs assistants, SNAs. They are badly needed. I would like to see the roll-out, the figures and the cuts. According to the briefing document, the number of SNAs increased by a few hundred in recent years. I know of nowhere that received extra SNAs, but I know many schools that lost them. As the Minister knows, they are a vital link.

I was involved in setting up a naíonra and, while in the VEC, I was involved in adult education. Education is important from the cradle to the grave. We need to invest. Will the Minister consider a loan scheme for third level students? I have people in third level. We hope that they will progress on to work and pay back some of the money. Students' parents are hard pressed, especially those who are ordinary working people who do not avail of grants and are caught in that trap.

A cruel issue is the closed school rule. It makes no sense whatsoever. I have seen situations in schools where dhá dhalta have a suíochán ar an mbus - they have two seats on the bus - but two other daltaí are starting school this year or next year and cannot get seats on that bus. They are told to go to another school because of a distance that is the same as from here to the front gate of this building. The measurement in kilometres is so tight that it is causing an anomaly. In such cases, common sense should prevail and people should be allowed to go with the rest of their family to the same schools. When a family starts at a school, it should be accommodated by allowing all of its children to attend that school.

The Minister has heaps of work to do. The difference in pay scales is crazy. The unions must take some blame for that as well. They pulled up the ladder after getting in. That is typical. I look forward to working with the Minister.

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