Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)

I want to raise an urgent and deeply concerning issue regarding a DEIS school in my constituency, Scoil Saidhbhín in Cahersiveen, County Kerry. It has just had its appeal against a cut of two mainstream teachers and one English as an additional language, EAL, post rejected. This is despite an ongoing surge in enrolment, including more than 40 Ukrainian pupils and recent IPAS admissions. This school, already stretched to capacity, now faces class sizes of up to 40 children, many with complex emotional, linguistic and educational needs. These are children dealing with trauma, ASD diagnoses and language barriers, and now they are being asked to learn in classrooms that are bursting at the seams. The staff in this school have gone above and beyond the call of duty through Covid, emergency enrolments and increasing levels of need, yet the Department's response is a reduction in support. It is not only unfair but unsustainable. I call on the Tánaiste to engage with the Minister for education and for the Government to reverse this decision, listen to those working on the ground and support DEIS schools trying to deliver inclusive education in some of the most challenging circumstances imaginable.

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