Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I hope the Minister will not have any difficulty in responding to this matter, which is with regard to a quite specific change which occurred under the Fianna Fáil and Green Party Government which changed the pupil-teacher ratio for gaelscoileanna and applied it retrospectively. Changing the pupil-teacher ratio would be a problem in itself, but by applying it retrospectively Gaelscoil Inse Chóir and 30 other gaelscoileanna will lose a teacher this year. In all sense of justice and fair play I urge the Minister to row back on this decision for this year at least.

In September last year, gaelscoileanna like all other primary schools applied the rules as they stood. In most cases, they prevented children entering the school because they had reached the quota and did not want to overcrowd the classes. In the case of Gaelscoil Inse Chóir, it achieved what it thought was the required number to have a staff of nine teachers when the school term started. However, lo and behold in February it was told the criteria had been changed retrospectively. At that stage, children could not be enrolled because they had already enrolled elsewhere. If that were allowed by the Department it would address the problem.

Many of the children in Gaelscoil Inse Chóir come from disadvantaged areas and it has been quite successful in promoting the Irish language in difficult circumstances. Tá líon beag páistí ag freastal ar an scoil agus tá siad tar éis iarracht a dhéanamh le tamall de bhlianta anuas cur leis an líon páistí. In ainneoin ciorraithe i mbuiséad na scoile agus scoileanna eile, déanadh iarracht mhór cur leis an scoil.

Le déanaí, in ainneoin gach rud a dúramar faoin Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna, tá foirgneamh nua tógtha le ceithre seomra ranga nua. Osclófar roimh dheireadh na míosa seo é, ach ní úsáidfear ceann des na ranganna nua sin toisc nach bhfuil muinteoir uimhir a naoi á maoineadh, toisc an athrú a tharla i mbliana.

Bhí deis ag an Aire tarraingt siar ón chinneadh a rinne an Rialtas a chuaigh thart. Ní sábhálfaidh an cinneadh an oiread sin airgid, ach cuirfidh sé leis an ualach ar pháistí atá ag freastail ar ghaelscoileanna, ach go háirithe, an Ghaeilge agus na hábhair atá á mhúineadh tré Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim in atmasféar ina bhfuil Béarla, don chuid is mó, lasmuigh den seomra ranga.

Tá ualach níos troime ar pháistí agus ar mhúinteoirí na nGaelscoileanna. Tugadh aitheantas thar na blianta don ualach sin agus dos na difríochtai sin. Sin an fáth go mbíodh an cóimheas idir mic léinn agus múinteoirí difriúil i nGaelscoileanna thar scoileanna eile. Dá mbeadh an cinneadh ag teacht i bhfeidhm sa bhliain seo chugainn agus a fhios ag na scoileanna faoi roimh Mí Meán Fhomhair bheadh loighic éigin ann, in ainneoin go mbeinn i gcoinne an chinneadh. Ach tá sé go huile is go hiomlán mícheart na rialacha a athrú leath-shlí tríd an bhliain.

Impím ar an Aire athrú a dhéanamh ag an staid seo, le gur féidir leis an scoil, agus leis na scoileanna eile atá ins an riocht céanna, pleanáil cheart a dhéanamh don bhliain seo chugainn ionas nach mbeidh daltaí óga measctha istigh i ranganna atá ró-mhór agus le daltaí atá ar leibhéil difriúla.

Má tá an Rialtas ag triail teacht ar airgead, tá fliúrse airgid ar fáil ins an cheantar, de réir cosúlachta. Tá a fhios seo agam mar tá páiste de mo chuid féin ag freastal ar Ghaelscoil Inse Chóir. Le cupla lá anuas, tá an OPW tar éis na mílte punt a chaitheamh ar fhéar a chur síos le go mheidh sé ann do bhanríon Shasana nuair a thiocfaidh sí.

Hundreds of square metres of grass have been rolled out in the avenue leading up to the school simply to welcome the British queen. The OPW seems to have no problem with finding money and perhaps if it has the funds to spare it can help the Department of Education and Skills to employ an additional teacher at the school next year. There will be no problem in future years because the school has a waiting list every year and it would have addressed the issue if it was given a fair opportunity to do so and if the new rule had not been applied retrospectively.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Táim ag tógaint na díospóireachta seo ar son an Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna, an Teachta Ruairí Quinn, nach bhfuil sa Teach faoi láthair. Tá an freagra go léir i mBéarla.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Tá sin ceart go leor.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Ach déanfaidh mé mo dhícheall cuid de a aistriú. D'iarr mé ar an Roinn script Ghaeilge a ullmhú ach i mBéarla atá sé.

Tá sé an-thábhachtach go bhfuil an cheist seo á plé agus molaim an Teachta as ucht an rud a dúirt sé. Beidh mé ag caint leis an Aire faoin méid a dúirt an Teachta agus neosfaidh mé dó na pointí nua nach raibh ar eolas agam go dtí seo ach go háirithe.

I ndiaidh bhuiséid 2011, tháinig athrú, ins na Gaelscoileanna ach go háirithe. Ó shin, tá an cóimheas idir dhaltaí agus múinteoirí cothrom, cuma más Gaelscoil nó scoil nach Gaelscoil atá ann. Tiocfaidh an riail seo i bhfeidhm ag tús na bliana acadúla seo chugainn, i Meán Fomhair 2011. Beidh líon na múinteoirí i nGaelscoil Inse Chóir maraon le líon na múinteoirí i scoil nach Gaelscoil í. An fáth go bhfuil sé seo ag titim amach ná go bhfuil cúrsaí airgeadais go práinneach ar fad. Ní féidir leis an Rialtas dul ar ais ar an chinneadh atá déanta ag an Rialtas a chuaigh romhainn.

The Gaelscoil movement is well established. Is é an tuairim atá ag an Aire nach gcuirfidh an cinneadh seo isteach ar fhás na nGaelscoileanna. Sin tuairim láidir an Aire agus na Roinne. The change in the staffing schedule will result in an overall reduction, of the order of 50 posts in Gaelscoileanna. Faoi láthair, tá níos mó ná 1,500 múinteoir ag obair ins na scoileanna seo. The actual impact at individual school level, including Gaelscoil Inse Chóir, is determined as part of the allocation process for 2011-12 and schools are being notified in the normal manner.

This case has been raised with my Department by Deputies Eric Byrne, Michael Conaghan and Catherine Byrne. They have been invited to submit an appeal to the primary staffing appeals board, which operates independently of the Department. The appeals board is next scheduled to meet towards the end of May and the school will receive notification of its decision shortly afterwards.

The Government will endeavour to protect front line education services as best as possible. However, this must be done within the context of bringing overall public expenditure back in line with what we can afford. All areas of Government spending, including gaelscoileanna, will have to manage on a reduced level of resources. The challenge will be to ensure that the resources provided are used to maximum effect to achieve the best possible outcome for pupils.