Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The school contacted me this afternoon to acknowledge that contact had been made with the Department. It is working through it. I discussed whether the school wanted me to continue to raise this issue tonight and it indicated I should because this is a wider issue that will continue.

The Minister of State stated that schools have the flexibility to use their capitation grants. Schools are bending over backwards multiple times to be as flexible as possible to stretch the money they are getting to ensure the light and heat stay on and the school remains clean. The free books scheme is brilliant, as is the school meals programme, of which I am a great fan because it has been a wonderful innovation and has accelerated in the past couple of years. St. Cronan's is availing of that scheme. These schemes will be damaged if we do not get the basics right or do not fund schools. Students end up being taught in cold rooms or rooms that must be dimly lit or not lit at all. It is not about striking the crisis bell. It is about acknowledging, in a rational and calm manner, the seriousness of this issue.

We have great school principals. We have young principals with many more years left to give who are probably spending too much time having to sort out and meet financial deficits and needs that should be borne by the State so that they can focus on the provision of learning, special education and everything we want to see our teachers and educators working on, as opposed to basic administration which should be resolved. We will come back to this again.

I ask the Minister of State to take the issue of solar panels away immediately. It could be looked at. The Labour Party will make provision for increased capitation in our alternative budget this year.

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