Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

I thank the Ministers of State, Deputies Brian Lenihan and Síle de Valera, for their presence. I thank my colleagues in the Fine Gael Party and the other Senators who spoke. It is an important debate and I hope that by moving this motion we can in some way help to make progress in what is an appalling situation for children and parents also.

The Minister of State, Deputy Síle de Valera, talked about giving children an even break and about the appointment of 200 additional teachers, particularly in disadvantaged areas. I remind the Minister, whether she is aware of it or not, that between 30,000 and 40,000 pupils at national school level are being taught by untrained teachers. It is an unbelievable figure. It is a disaster for so many that they will go through some of the most important years in their education being taught by untrained teachers. I do not know what the Minister of State or the Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey, intend to do about that. We know all about the improvements he listed.

It was a pity that the Minister of State, Deputy de Valera, did not address the motion before the House. She ignored it. The only aspect she mentioned was the increased amount of money provided during the good times by the last Government. The sad reality is that we have a core base of schools in a deplorable condition in which we expect our children to be taught and our teachers to teach. The conditions are unbelievable. They have been listed many times before.