Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

The standardisation of the school year is now turning out to be a farce. It actually promotes greater absenteeism from schools. Parents can no longer afford to bring their children on holidays. As everyone is off at the same time, holiday packages are sold at a peak price. This has resulted in children missing more time from school. I challenge Members opposite to look into that issue. More children are now missing school because of the standardisation of the school year. That is the ultimate irony, but it is the end result of standardisation of the school year.

The Minister has much work ahead of her. The rapturous reception she got at the teachers' conferences was a reflection of who she was not, as opposed to who she was. We all know the former Minister refused to turn up at the conferences last year and insulted the teachers at the time. It was no surprise, therefore, that she got a rapturous reception. Will she get the same reception next year? I suspect she will not, but we will have to wait and see.

I was bemused to hear Senator Brady speak about the schools building programme. I remember the hypocrisy and lies of the Government during the last general election, when the former Minister, Deputy Woods, told officials in the Department of Education and Science not to issue any bad news to schools in the run up to the election. Every school in Ireland was promised a new extension and new buildings, yet nothing has happened years later. In Carlow, Scoil Mhuire gan Smál celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2000. The then Minister, Deputy Woods, was there for the celebrations and he made an announcement about a building for the school. Everyone expected to see construction lorries arriving soon after, yet nothing has happened in the five years since that announcement. The local people were very sore about that and I hope they will not have forgotten it by 2007. There is major work needed on the schools building programme.

I welcome in principle the Government announcement on the devolved grant. However, much more work needs to be done on it. In Carlow, Saint Mary's Church of Ireland primary school in Bagenalstown is looking for a new school that costs around €1 million. The school management was told that the school was to receive a devolved grant. However, its happiness turned to puzzlement when it was told the school would be getting €575,000. That is a lot of money, but it is well short of €1 million and such a deficit can leave schools in an awkward position. If the school does not accept the grant, it can be knocked back for years. If it accepts the grant, it will be short of money. It is unfair to expect small rural communities to raise that kind of money. The Government is abdicating its responsibility on this issue. I welcome the idea of the devolved grant and any steps that decentralise the very centralised system we have in the schools building programme. However, granting a school €500,000 when it needs €1 million is very unfair. The school should get the money it deserves.

The increase in the number of special needs assistants has led to difficulties. Everyone knows that managing staff can be difficult at the best of times. Many schools now have three or four extra staff and principals must deal with teachers and special needs assistants yet no extra resources have been given to principals to deal with the increase in staff. The Department should look at this issue, as it is putting undue pressure on principals, particularly those who also teach.

Some of the all-girl schools in Carlow have contacted me about the allocation of special needs assistants. They are not happy with the current situation. These schools will see a reduction in hours and their situation should be examined again in the review. They should not suffer discrimination, although I appreciate it is an awkward issue.

The Fine Gael amendment deals with the failure of the Government to deal with the report of the task force on autism. We are trying to get a school for autism up and running in Carlow, but my experience in this regard did not inspire confidence. We are due a decision next month and I hope we get the new school. We were offered a new site but the Department of Education and Science did not play ball with us. I must acknowledge, however, that it did arrange for a meeting after an Adjournment matter was tabled a few weeks ago. I hope the Department's wrongdoing will be rectified by the decision in May.

The Joint Committee on Health and Children is discussing the problem of obesity and people being unfit generally, yet the Department of Education and Science does not provide proper playground facilities for children. Schools need to be equipped with such recreation facilities for children.

The pupil-teacher ratio is the main issue for schools. The Government has given a clear commitment to reduce the ratio but it has not happened. The pupil-teacher ratio has a big impact on children's education.

In some cases, psychological assessments take far too long to obtain, which is unfair on the children involved who may have to wait for up to two years for such assessments. While it may not be much in a lifetime, two years in the primary or secondary school cycle is a long time.

The method of expelling children from schools must be re-examined. I am aware of one case where a primary school pupil assaulted nurses in the local hospital's accident and emergency unit. He also caused havoc around the town. His own mother brought him to the Garda station at the age of 12 because he was so drunk. It proved to be next to impossible to get him expelled from primary school, where he terrified the teacher and students. That should not be allowed to happen.