Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas do na daoine thíos i gCorcaigh a vótáil dom an tseachtain seo chaite. I thank the Acting Chairman for the opportunity to speak this evening on this report. This is my first time speaking in Dáil Éireann and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this discussion. Until recently I was a secondary school teacher in Coláiste an Chraoibhín in Fermoy, a school in which Deputy Stanton also taught many moons ago. In that context, I would like to think I have first hand knowledge of many of the challenges that face secondary school principals and teachers today. At the outset I must state that we have an excellent education system in this country and I was glad to be a part of it for over 14 years working with Cork Education and Training Board. However, there are a number of challenges ahead, of which the school building programme is just one. I note that one of the recommendations in this report is for the appointment of a fully-funded administrative assistant for building in schools. My own experience tells me that this is a prerequisite to ensure the proper management of large-scale projects and to alleviate the burden placed on already overworked school boards of management. The lack of such a person in my former school in Fermoy meant that the school principal took on many of the duties and much of the stress that came with running a school on what was effectively a building site for over five years. I do not think that such a situation can continue. It is placing undue pressure on the boards of management of the schools affected.

It is also important to highlight the ongoing difficulties, as referenced by Deputy Buckley, with the project in Carrigtwohill. This is one of the largest educational campuses being built in the country and if ever there was a case to be made for the appointment of an administrative assistant, this is the project to make it. While I am loathe to say that boards of management are ill-equipped to deal with many of the difficulties arising from building projects, they do need advice and help from planning consultants or administrative assistants which should provided to them by the Department. The campus in Carrigtwohill has been beset by many difficulties with land ownership and delays in obtaining planning permission. All the while, the school has been operating out of a commercial premises. This situation cannot be allowed to continue.

Recommendation No. 8 in the report calls for the provisions necessary for good planning to be put in place to ensure that adequate facilities are provided to meet added demand for school places. I am concerned at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government's response to the effect that the zoning of land is the responsibility of local authorities and not its responsibility nor that of the Department of Education and Skills. I was a county councillor for six years and I fully understand that it is the responsibility of local authorities to zone land. However, the Department must take a much more proactive stance in advising local authorities when there is a requirement for land to be zoned. There should be engagement by all Departments during the development plan process at local authority level. My experience as a councillor was that local authorities only drove zoning for educational purposes after an intervention by the Department of Education and Skills. In my own area of Glanmire there are two secondary schools, Glanmire Community College and Coláiste an Phiarsaigh, both of which are bursting at the seams. Both of them have long waiting lists and are turning away students every year but the local authority has not sanctioned additional land for a third secondary school in the locality. The Department must actively advise local authorities of its envisaged requirements rather than taking a reactive stance, which seems to be par for the course. This laissez-fairepolicy is not working and I would urge the Minister to consult with local authorities to the best of his ability.

Unfortunately, up to now I have spent much of my time talking about planning permission and bricks and mortar when we all know that the key to quality education is what happens within the four walls of the classroom. We need to look seriously at how we fund our schools, particularly in terms of capitation rates. These rates have not recovered sufficiently and stood at €296 per student in 2018. This constitutes an 11% decrease since 2010. I urge the Minister to undertake an assessment of the adequacy of the current capitation rate. Too many schools are now reliant on fundraising or voluntary contributions to keep the lights on. We need to look seriously at the funding of our schools and at capitation rates as a whole. The current system is undermining the long established tradition of free education and must be tackled urgently. I serve on three boards of management at present, at one primary school and two secondary schools. Every year when we go through the audited accounts we see that heating, lighting, electricity, insurance and other bills are going up. Schools are struggling to keep up with this price inflation.

I would also like to reference the workload of teaching principals. If this Government really values smaller schools then it needs to introduce drastic reforms in this area. Consideration must be given to expanding the number of release days for teaching principals to ensure that they can adequately administer the affairs the school while also leading teaching and learning and supporting their boards of management. Finally, reference must be made to the plight of the estimated 850 children with special needs across the country who are receiving home tuition this year because space could not be found for them in a local school. All new schools and new buildings for existing schools should be built with facilities to accommodate children with special needs. It is not acceptable that some of our most vulnerable children are treated this way. In the area where I live there is no capacity to meet the demand for ASD facilities in our schools. Two years ago Glanmire Community College opened up two ASD units.

It was the first school in the locality to do so. There is already pressure on the school in that regard and it has agreed to open a third unit next September. It is already oversubscribed. Four or five such units could be filled in the locality. The capacity in the area does not meet demand.

Every year, Deputies face the challenge of getting a space in a local school for children with special needs. Many are turned away and end up travelling for up to an hour, often by taxi, to access their right to an education, while many others receive home tuition. Education should be at the heart of every community. People should have the opportunity to be educated in their community. It is incumbent on the Government to implement the recommendations of the report. I commend Deputy O'Loughlin and the committee on producing it.

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