Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)

I thank Sinn Féin for tabling the motion and I thank the Minister of State. I want to speak in particular about a special education teacher allocation for a particular school in my constituency. It is St. Mary's national school on Bishop Street. I contacted the Minister of State directly about this in recent days. According to the Pobal social deprivation index, it serves the most disadvantaged area in the entire country. It is the electoral area of John's A. The school has been rejuvenated and has grown its student population by 76% in the past four years. With this increase in enrolment, it has opened a second autism class and enhanced its commitment to inclusive education.

The allocation the school had in 2021-22 equated to a ratio of 25.3 pupils per SET. The September 2025 allocation equates to a ratio of 33.9 pupils per SET. This is even after a review by the NCSE and an increase of 0.5 of an SET on the original allocation for this year. Basically, there are equivalent DEIS schools in Limerick where the ratio is in the low to mid 20s. For example, last week the Minister of State visited Le Chéile primary school in Limerick. It serves a very similar student profile. It has 20 more pupils than St. Mary's but it has four more SETs. The fact of the matter is that St. Mary's current SET allocation will have significant repercussions on the school's ability to support its student body, especially people with additional needs. Basically, the school cannot buffer this with mainstream teachers. This will undermine its ethos, hinder parental trust and challenge its ability to maintain the high standards it has. Without additional SET resources, the school risks failing to meet the diverse needs of its expanding population. I ask the Minister of State to please intervene with the NCSE on this matter.

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