Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus tréaslaím léi as an sár obair atá á dhéanamh aici sa phost tábhachtach atá aici sa Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta.

Pre-planning and planning have never been an exact science in terms of the provision of schools. I was a teacher in Dublin in the 1970s when huge growth was experienced in areas such as Ballyfermot, with in excess of 60 and 80 teachers being provided in schools. Ten years later, those schools were almost empty while small two or three teacher schools in the country continued to operate without adequate toilet facilities.

I have just finished working 22 years in local government and I can say that pre-planning for facilities such as educational, medical, community and religious facilities was never a priority for our planners. They will insist on a certain amount of green space and they are rigorous in enforcing social and affordable housing regulations, but with the greed in terms of planning, important issues such as education tend to be ignored. In that capacity, I welcome the commitment in the programme for Government and the Minister's commitment in her ten-year development plan to try to rectify that and take a longer view.

Regarding ethnic minorities, it is almost impossible to legislate for minority groups in every sector. Education is not different in that regard. However, there has been some success in education in terms of the Traveller community. While not ideal, there is a great history of practical work being done by the Department, schoolteachers and boards of management to help those unfortunate people who often find it difficult to become involved in mainstream society.

Ethnic minorities are more of an urban problem; they do not affect rural communities to the same extent. However, where there is a critical mass in the cities, we see the provision of specially dedicated schools which, although not ideal, are at least available. In rural areas, a school with three or four members of an ethnic group is too small for specially dedicated teaching, although I acknowledge the Minister provides additional grants in that case. There may be an inequity in that regard because it is difficult for a teacher in a 20-pupil class in rural Ireland with three or four students from an ethnic group who do not have language facilities. Are those students getting the same crack of the whip as those who, despite all the objections in the city areas, are at least being given an option? I welcome the provision by the Minister of in excess of 1,500 additional language support teachers but that initiative is to address what is more of an urban problem.

I thank the Minister for the interest she has continually shown in the welfare of Drumclough national school, outside Listowel, which is experiencing ongoing difficulties in getting clearance for the €3 million——