Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister told us she recognises the challenges facing schools in regard to funding. There is only one way to deal with that, which is to increase the levels of funding. Unless we say principals and teachers are making up the figures they presented to us - I do not believe they are - as I said, it is essential that a very significant increase in funding is delivered in the next budget.

Having listened to the Minister's speech, I have to echo some of my colleagues' requests. Are we talking about the same education system? The Minister noted that our pupil-teacher ratio is now at a historic low of 23:1. I recognise her efforts in that regard but the OECD average is 20:1. All we are asking is for that ratio to be reduced to the average.

My colleague, Deputy Connolly, spoke in detail about the need to enforce the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004. While enforcing legislation does not grab headlines in the same way as providing extra funding, if enforced, this legislation would provide a legislative basis for the delivery as of right of SEN supports to those students who really need them. That is absolutely crucial. It is how our system should and must operate. The Minister has said that a review of the Act has commenced but when will it report? Crucially, when will the Government implement the Act in full? We need answers on this.

The Minister has told us that she has employed extra numbers of deputy principals but the reality is that 1,700 middle management roles were lost in primary education 15 years ago and so far only 500 have been reinstated. She also spoke about the capitation grant. That grant is now back to pre-2011 levels. That is not progress. It is not even catching up. Those figures tell us everything we need to know about the crisis in primary funding.

If there is one thing I want to ask of the Minister, it is this: I appeal to her to reinstate complex needs as a criterion and to allow school principals to input this information on the primary online database. Why will the Minister not trust principals and teachers? They know their students and they have the data. It takes years for students to get a diagnosis. The CDNT waiting list is getting longer and longer. It takes students years and years to get treatment but those students are still in our schools. They are in mainstream classes and many do not get proper supports until they are in second class. If there is one thing in this motion that I would push harder for than for anything else, it is that. This must change. It comes down to the fact that the Department and the NCSE do not want this information. There was a box that could be ticked on the primary online database but it has been removed so there is now no way for schools to send this information to the Department. That has to change.

There is a crisis in primary education funding. There is chronic and ongoing underinvestment in the sector. For the sake of our students, families, teachers, principals and, indeed, the entire system, the Government must absolutely ensure that the level of funding for primary schools is significantly increased in budget 2025. Nothing less is acceptable.

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