Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ministers, Deputies Foley and Harris. I get great personal satisfaction from the fact that for the first time ever I am addressing a Minister with responsibility for education who is from Kerry. I am very glad that is the case.

What we are asked to debate here today is very unusual because we are talking about Revised Estimates, which involve a lot of money, while at the same time there is a high level of uncertainty and chaos in the education system. Principals of national and secondary schools, people in third level education, bus operators who take people to school and those seeking accommodation for the new academic year all face awful uncertainty. I ask the Ministers to help these people.

I want to relay the details of a phone call I had in the past two hours. A mother told me she is being asked to pay €3,859 for student accommodation between now and Christmas, and to pay the same amount at Christmas in order to secure accommodation for her young student going into third level education. They do not know how many days per week the student will be attending college, how many hours of lectures will take place in college, how many nights they will need accommodation for or what they will require for the new academic year. This uncertainty is creating chaos.

We cannot have a situation whereby schools have to fundraise to provide for basic essentials, such as repairing windows or a roof. There should be plenty of money in the system to carry out such necessary works. Schools with temporary accommodation, such as old-style Portakabins, should get permanent accommodation as quickly as possible.

I ask the Ministers to please remove the uncertainty from the education system. Earlier, we debated when the pubs will or will not reopen. I ask the Ministers to bring certainty to parents and students and help them at a time when there is total chaos because of a lack of information. Do the Ministers know the answers? If they do, I ask them to impart that knowledge to the people of Ireland.

See this speech in context