Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Sinn Féin welcomes this legislation which, by and large, seeks to formalise what many school boards of management already do. Much of that work is already happening and there is already transparency in that regard. It must be said that very many boards of management operate in a voluntary capacity. They put in a lot of time and effort to run schools throughout this country. The amount of funding by way of the capitation grant to schools is always a problem. It is for this reason so many schools need to fundraise and seek voluntary contributions. This is a poor reflection on how we value our education system.

This legislation, while welcome in terms of what is seeks to do, does not go to the core of the problems in this area. In many cases, schools are under-resourced. The Minister will be aware that one of the primary areas in respect of which they are under-resourced is in regard to special needs provision and classes. Families with children who are at various stages on the autism spectrum or who may have other conditions find that getting resources in place for their children is a struggle and a fight. The principal of the school, the parents and everyone else involved find themselves fighting with special educational needs organisers, SENOs, to get extra hours and to get special nees assistants, SNAs, in place. At the end of the year, there is always a fear the SNA hours will be cut, that an SNA will be withdrawn or that the full-time SNA will be replaced with a part-time SNA because a child has improved a little. In my constituency, I am dealing with a case involving a child who has been assessed as having improved in the past 12 months and, therefore, an SNA is deemed no longer necessary. The parents are worried the child will regress when that support is taken away. It is foolhardy and wrong that families are under stress and strain that this might happen. It is a real issue in many places.

There is another issue that needs to be addressed. In many places, school boards of management are dealing with poor infrastructure. I understand the Minister met recently with the board of management of Scoil Mhuire in Carrick-on-Shannon which is seeking the construction of a new school building because they are in a very fragmented situation at the moment. There is a real need for a new primary school in Carrick-on-Shannon to deal with the growing numbers in a growing town. The existing building is totally inadequate. This is reflected in many places throughout the country. The putting in place of a charter will not resolve those big issues; they will continue to be the big problem. As has been said by a number of contributors in previous debates on this issue, there is a fear among some boards of management that for them this charter could mean extra pressure, more work and additional cost. While the Bill is deemed to have no cost to the Exchequer, in terms of the extra work it could have a cost for boards of management, who are the ones who will have to implement it.

Another issue we have in many areas is that of small schools and decreasing pupil numbers and the resultant loss of teachers and so on. In the rural area I come from this is an ongoing problem. Many small schools are under serious pressure, in part because of the school transport service and the manner in which it operates in regard to small rural areas. For example, to be eligible for school transport a child must attend the nearest school and there must be a set number of children on the route for it to be established in the first place. Some places are concessionary and others are entitled. No child in this State could be considered a concession. Every child should be eligible for full educational services, part of which should be transport to school.

The issue of school secretaries also needs to be dealt with. It has been ongoing for years now and it needs to be dealt with appropriately and as quickly as possible.

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