Mary White (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister for coming before the House this evening. Just as Senator McCarthy pleaded with her earlier, I also wish to plead with the Minister. I have examined three reports on guidelines on Traveller education in primary schools, guidelines on Traveller education in second level schools and one on pre-schools for Travellers. I have two Traveller friends who are sisters. One of them who lives in a caravan in the south east does not wish me to use her name. However, last weekend her child, who is 12 years old, came home from school with a €70 bill for school books. In theory there is support for Travellers but it was inhumane and cheeky of a teacher to send such a bill to a person who lives in a caravan and comes up to Dublin from Wexford to get people to give her financial support to keep her children going. How could a school teacher do such a thing and expect this woman to get €70 for books?

This lady has a child in secondary school and a child in national school and she is doing her level best to educate them. Her child in secondary school wants to work for Travellers when she leaves school. The lady told me that last year the child was very conscious that the teacher had let the other children in the class know the child had got books cheaper or for free. I know most teachers and principals are very decent people and are sensitive. However, there must be some way to ensure the teacher does not make the child feel inadequate or discriminated against when the child is making such efforts to go to school given the cost of uniforms and books. This is a compassionate issue and I will leave it up to the Minister.