Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Some 20% of the current enrolment of the school and the enrolment for the foreseeable future will be made up by members of the Traveller community. Some 37% of the total enrolment of 49 pupils are in receipt of school support, which we estimate to be higher than the national average for a school of this size. I have checked the position in that regard. Some 16 pupils receive school support and two pupils receive school support plus. The Minister of State will understand all of that. I will not go into the various individual supports because I do not want to bring it down to a personal level but they are all there, they are a fact of life.

Classes comprising 25 or more pupils with diverse educational, physical, emotional and psychological needs place a strain on the commitment required for two teachers to manage and teach those involved. It is also worth noting that despite the needs of the school, only one special needs assistant has been sanctioned. That seems unfair and it increases the health and safety risk of the school.

These are unusual circumstances for a school. I hope that what was done in respect of a similar school when Deputy Bruton was Minister for Education and Skills will happen again. I was very grateful to the previous Minister for doing for involving himself, listening to the evidence and acting. The Minister of State will indicate that the process is independent of the Minister of the day. However, I hope the matter will be re-examined and that we will not end up in a situation where a school in these unusual circumstances would lose its third teacher. I thank the Minister of State again for taking time to listen.

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