Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

For the past six years the education system in this country has been slowly strangled. It has been called a managed decline by some of those presiding over it. Education is fundamental to the progress of any country. It allows us to innovate, will attract businesses, encourage job creation and enhance our reputation globally. As the Labour Party motion has rightly identified, budget 2017 showed little vision when it comes to education. It let our young people down. Is é an réalachas ná gur ligeadh sios ár ndaoine óga agus rinneadh neamhaird ar riachtanais ár ndaoine óga chomh maith le riachtanais ár muinteoirí óga. Where was the vision needed to address key issues of concern in our education system?

Primary school classes in Ireland are the second most overcrowded in the European Union, but the Government has decided to leave them as they are. The Government did not commit to multiannual increases to school capitation grants even though many of our schools are currently operating on shoestring budgets and dependent on parental contributions and fund-raising. In respect of third level, how can our third level colleges continue to excel when they are neglected, starved of resources and ignored? Some of the colleges, despite their very best efforts, clearly cannot make ends meet. How can their leaders focus on what matters most, namely, the quality of education, when they are worried about paying the bills every month? Last week, the Government and the largest Opposition party seemed quite content with the announcement of an additional €36.5 million for the higher education sector in 2017. The truth is that it is totally inadequate. It will do little to tackle the effects of successive cutbacks which have had a devastating impact on students and lecturers.

Regrettably, even though I commend the Labour Party on seeking to address key issues, I do not see any intention in this motion to address the huge inequality in the teaching profession. That is why the Green Party is proposing an amendment to this motion requesting the Government to commit immediately to a plan to eliminate all outstanding pay inequality for newly qualified teachers. Our young teachers play a vital role in the future direction of education. They are highly skilled and specialised classroom practitioners entrusted with huge and far reaching responsibility on a daily basis. By allowing the differential pay scales to continue, we are telling our teachers they do not matter and we do not care. It is difficult for a person who is blatantly and unjustifiably discriminated against on salary to continue to get up every morning, go into their place of employment and impart knowledge and positivity to the very best of their ability and also be a role model when at the same time they are being insulted and treated differently from some of their peers in the same place of work. This must stop. While I appreciate tough decisions were made in a time of crisis, the Government cut vital services without thought or consideration to the long-term consequences. These consequences are coming home to roost now in social welfare, health, justice and urgently in education. We need strategic vision. That vision needs to be clear and unequivocal. Crucially, the Government needs to bring those charged with delivering on that vision with it as respected partners and team players. The Government will only do so by treating them with basic fairness and respect.

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