Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

47. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the assessment he has carried out of the indebtedness levels of primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25489/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department has not carried out an assessment of the indebtedness or otherwise of primary schools. The finances of recognised primary schools are a matter for the boards of management of these schools. Boards should budget in such a way as to enable them to meet their commitments and their expenditure should not exceed their income. Overdrafts or other forms of debt or excesses of expenditure over income must be approved by the patron, in conjunction with trustees where required, and should be avoided except for limited periods and where the board is satisfied that the overdraft or debt can be cleared by the board. The running costs of recognised primary schools are not budgeted for individually by the Department. It would not be feasible to grant aid over 3,300 schools in this way. The running costs of these schools are met by my Departments schemes of capitation and ancillary services grants.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I take the Minister's point that his Department does not carry out surveys to investigate the funding position of primary schools but does he accept that a funding crisis exists for primary schools across the country? A survey carried out the end of last year by the Catholic Primary School Management Association, CPMSA, which represents more than 90% of primary schools, found that half of those surveyed ran a deficit during the previous year.

The funding crisis is the outcome of measures the Minister introduced since taking up office. We no longer have the summer works scheme on which many schools depended and the capitation fee and minor works grants have also had a particular impact. Last week, I visited a school with 70 students which depended on an annual minor works grant of €7,000.

The Minister's decision to withdraw the minor works grant means it must find an additional €100 per student each year. Families with two or three pupils in the school must find an extra €200 or €300 per annum. It is time the Minister recognised the impact of the measures he is taking. I call on him to reintroduce the minor works grant this year.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The funding crisis is not in confined to our schools. It affects every part of the country and its impact is a direct legacy of Governments which were dominated by Deputy McConalogue's party. The gap between what the country is spending and earning is €12 billion. No one is immune from the Government's efforts to close this gap and, sadly, these include a reduction of resources in a number of areas. Does the Deputy believe I like doing this or that I am doing it for fun or as some form of torture? Of course, that is not the case. If the sound economic position in which we left he country in 1997 when my party lost the general election had been decently managed, we would not be where we are today. The Deputy must accept not only the crisis but also the reality, namely, that we must find savings. He knows precisely what constraints I face in that regard.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I concur with the Minister that his party was missing from 1997 onwards. He is keen to portray everything that took place after 1997 as the fault of previous Governments but in doing so he ignores that his party advocated the same policies as those pursued by previous Governments. As a former Minister for Finance, he encouraged previous Governments to spend more, and during the most recent general election campaign, he promised there would be no cuts in education. Now that the impact of his decisions is being felt, especially in primary schools, he seeks to divert attention from his broken promises.

I ask him to stick to the undertakings he made during the election campaign. He must stop imposing cuts in education and asking families who cannot afford it to bear the costs of educating their children. Families are suffering as a result of the Minister's decision to cut by half the back-to-education allowance and reduce every other grant available to schools. They are now being asked to ensure schools can continue to operate. It is the Minister's responsibility to address this issue. He must stand up to the mark and keep the promises he made. I ask him to reinstate the minor works grant to avoid schools becoming further indebted before the end of the year.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I do not have any apology to make for my role in the previous election campaign or my conduct in this House, both as an Opposition spokesperson or as a Minister in previous Governments. None of the parties, including the Labour Party, secured a majority in the previous election. We had a national crisis two and a half years ago. In functioning democracies, at least those whose survival is not under threat and which have not lost their economic sovereignty, the largest party after an election usually enters government, with or without allies, and the second largest party usually leads the Opposition.

The legacy of the previous Government was the collapse that started with the Donegal by-election, which Deputy McConalogue will remember well, and continued until March 2009, during which time we experienced three months of paralysis, chaos and despair. Following the general election, Fine Gael and the Labour Party decided to form a Government and negotiated a programme for Government. The programme, which secured the overwhelming support of the House in a vote, is the mandate that I, as Minister for Education and Skills, am implementing to the best of my ability.