Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach; he is looking good in the Chair. I also thank the Minister of State for taking this Topical Issue.

Primary schools principals right throughout Ireland are screaming in an effort to retain their special education teacher, SET, allocations. The new criteria are flawed and are not working. I know this because schools throughout my constituency are having their SET allocations cut.

I want to give the Minister of State a few examples of what is happening out there. In Caheragh National School, the teachers and staff go above and beyond for their students. They had 22.5 hours of SET allocation and have been cut to 20 hours. It should be borne in mind that the school has already had to battle for a special needs assistant, SNA, allocation. Why is everything a battle when it comes to these schools getting the most basic services for the most vulnerable children in them? Their allocation has been cut because they are too good at what they do and because they have improved their literacy and numeracy profiles. They have done exactly what they set out to do, what was asked of them and what those pupils needed. They are essentially being punished for it with a reduction in SET hours.

Leap National School had 22 hours and 20 minutes of SET allocation. It has been cut to 17.5 hours. Again, this is a school that does not have DEIS status but provides such an essential service to children who, in some instances, are at an educational disadvantage.

Why is this happening? This country is supposed to be flush with money. Surely the last thing that should be done is cut hours for essential special education for those students who most need it. I come back to my essential point, which is that the criteria for SET are flawed. They are flawed because the allocation is based in the first instance on enrolment in the school, second, on the school's numeracy profile and, third, on the school's literacy profile. It completely ignores and does not take into account the complex needs of the school and the number of students with complex needs within the school. This is absolutely crazy and is why 730 principals nationwide have signed a petition to return the assessment of complex needs as an assessment when assessing SET allocations.

It absolutely has to happen and I will give a further example. There can be a school with 50 students with the same numeracy and literacy profile. Five miles over the road there can be another school with the same number of students, 50, with the same numeracy and literacy profile but one school might have two students with complex needs and the other might have five students with such needs, and they get the exact same SET allocation. That is not right; that does not make sense. Teachers, principals and other staff dedicate their lives and every hour to ensuring that their students get the best education they can but they are frustrated and they need help. No school at this point should experience a reduction in SET hours. We must remember that these are the most vulnerable children in our society and this is a particular issue throughout rural Ireland.

There can be one school with DEIS status, which receives all these allocations, services and extra support whereas another school in another village up the road, with a very similar profile will not get those supports. This absolutely needs to change and I making this plea to the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton. I am sure that this message will get passed on to her on this issue. We need to see a return of assessment of complex needs. It is absolutely ridiculous that any school has had its SET hours cut when it has improved its literacy and numeracy, and this needs to be reversed.

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