Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, primary school principals were in the House pleading for help. Over the past two years, heating costs have risen by an average of 37%, electricity costs by 35% and insurance costs by 19%. Seven out of ten primary schools ran a deficit in the last 12 months. Almost three quarters do not even have enough money to pay for cleaners and caretakers. More than half have had to fundraise for basic utilities. On top of all of that, 28% of schools have a long-term vacancy rate, with that figure rising to 51% for DEIS band 1 schools and Gaelscoileanna and 48% for special schools.

Is it any wonder that many principals and their schools are at breaking point? They do not have the funding, staff or resources they need to run their schools. Many schools can no longer afford cleaning and caretaking staff, so principals are working after hours to clean toilets and mop floors. They have to leave classrooms to fix broken pipes and clean up leaks from them, and they feel they cannot speak publicly about the issues affecting their schools for fear that their enrolment numbers will go down and the problems will only worsen from there. This is causing burnout and 75% of principals have considered quitting.

This is not just affecting principals. It is affecting teachers who are working in under-resourced and high-pressure environments, it is affecting parents and, crucially, it is affecting students. They are increasingly being taught by unqualified teachers who are filling gaps in the teacher supply crisis and their education is suffering.

Then, there is also the disproportionate impact on children who need special education. According to the National Disability Authority, NDA, the number of children with special education needs at primary level increased by 56% between 2017 and 2021. During that time, allocations of special education teaching hours and special needs assistants were frozen or reduced and additional supports are nearly impossible to get. Incredibly, the Department has no idea of the number of children in mainstream classes with additional needs because it refuses to collect or accept data from schools. How exactly is the Department supposed to address the needs of students if it does not even know what they are? It is farcical. Even when schools are aware of additional needs for incoming students, they cannot apply for the supports in advance so that the child is supported from day one.

Primary schools need action, and they need it fast. They need immediate financial support so that the basics are covered. Special education teaching, SET, and special needs assistant, SNA, allocations need to meet the level of need and we need to address the teacher supply crisis and the pressure on teaching principals. Does the Tánaiste acknowledge the problem that primary schools are facing? Does he agree that all these issues and more need to be addressed? If so, how does he intend to address them?

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