Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)

Every family in Ireland has the right to have their children educated in a school where they feel included regardless of their family's culture, background or beliefs. We have a situation whereby many families have no choice but to send their child to a school which does not align with their beliefs. Through the leadership of my colleague, Deputy Cummins, the Social Democrats are bringing forward proposals that would uphold the right to an inclusive education for all children in this country that is consistent with the beliefs of the child's family.

Polling of parents from across the country has shown that our current patronage system does not meet the needs of much of the population. Some 60% of parents would prefer to send their children to a multidenominational school. Only 10% prefer religious schools, yet 90% of schools remain under religious patronage. Throughout the country, parents have extremely limited choice in where they send their children. This is particularly true in rural areas and in my own constituency of Cork East, where, for example, we have only two Educate Together national schools and no secondary schools. We also have Carrigtwohill Community National School, which is multidenominational. This leaves many families in east and north Cork, of different religions and none, with no choice but to send their children to a Christian school to ensure they have a school place. In Cork East, we urgently need the Government to prioritise the growth of nondenominational schools, as we do throughout the country.

I also raise the long-standing issue of classroom space, which significantly impacts the students, teachers and special needs assistants, SNAs, of Fermoy Educate Together National School. The school has been in regular contact with the Department of Education since at least 2021 highlighting these concerns. The building has major space restrictions that have placed a cap on the school's growth when the demand in the area for school places is far exceeding the school's capacity. Two of its four classrooms are considerably smaller than the size the Department's guidelines recommend. One class is only 24 sq. m and another is 33 sq. m. The Department's recommended size is 80 sq. m. The school is being forced to use hallways to accommodate extra classes for children with learning difficulties. It has not been sanctioned an autism class because it does not have the required space. The school has identified, with the Department of Education, room upstairs in its building that could be converted into two appropriately sized classrooms. This situation cannot continue and the Department needs to intervene.

Fermoy and its surrounding area has a significant demand for nondenominational school places and autism classes. I ask the Minister, and the property management section within his Department, to meet representatives of Fermoy Educate Together National School to resolve this issue as a matter of urgency.

The Social Democrats today bring forward a motion that would help to achieve a more modern and equality-based educational system, and I hope the Government will support us in those aims.

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