Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)

As a member of Fianna Fáil I am proud of the record of my party in education historically, going back to the days of Donogh O'Malley and Seán Moylan, and especially in the past five to ten years. This applies very much to the current Minister for Education and Science who has been very successful in her brief. I was staggered by the statistics I came across when researching this debate and I will share them with the House.

Investment in education is three times what it was in 1997, the school building and renovation programme is five times larger than in 1997, the primary capitation grant has almost trebled and school transport investment has more than trebled. This investment has clearly yielded results because access to higher education for 17 to 19 year olds has risen significantly since 1998. The most recent figures relate to 2004 so I anticipate very favourable figures for more recent years when they become available. Various socio-economic groups, including the unskilled sector and other sectors, have achieved a greater level of access to third level education. This is a significant fact and any party would be proud to have it in its manifesto.

I was a teacher for 20 years — the Cathaoirleach will be interested to know I spent a year in the faithful county — before I had to give up teaching to take over a family business commitment. I have three sons who have gone through the education system and as someone who has been very involved in school management in more recent times through the vocational education committee, I believe the education system in this country is second to none. Nothing is perfect and there are flaws but I believe more people are accessing higher levels of education today than at any other time. If the Celtic tiger achieved anything it was investment in the future of our young people.

The litmus test facing any society is how it cherishes those who most need help and I am old enough to remember a time when slow learners were hidden away as an embarrassment. We are now going in the right direction and I have statistics in this regard but I will not go into them.

Many teachers are frustrated when they hear the pupil-teacher ratio is improving. There are more teachers but it is little comfort to a teacher with a big class to know four or five special needs assistants in the school may withdraw one, two or three of his or her pupils on a regular basis. He or she will face a big group regardless. I note the Minister's commitment to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio by 2011 and I hope this can be accelerated because large classes still exist in certain schools and this matter must be examined.

I am reluctant to stray into the area of gaelscoileanna for a number of reasons, most pertinently because of an ongoing issue on which I do not wish to comment. All I will say is that I respect Senators O'Toole and de Búrca but my instincts lie strongly with the Minister. I do not think the debate is sufficiently in the open. The people behind gaelscoileanna are motivated by a love of the Irish language but they make up a formidable group with a strong publicity and propaganda machine behind it. The Minister clearly gave her rationale in one or two sentences today and I share it.

It may be time for a debate on how successful the gaelscoileanna have been in terms of their raison d'être of promoting the Irish language. Have any independent studies been undertaken to show whether the advent of gaelscioleanna has meant the language is ag eirí níos treise or, alternatively, declining? Has there been a negative knock-on effect, for example, in the mainstream primary level teaching of Irish? If gaelscoileanna are not leading to an increase in usage of the language, thus safeguarding its survival, they merely represent an alternative educational choice for parents who prefer their children to remain separate from the mainstream. I may be on dangerous ground in asking such questions. A debate on this issue is due.

The Minister initiated the north Kerry education development plan, which was greatly welcomed by all involved in education as an important initiative. It seems to be losing impetus, however, and may require an enhanced initiative. The person overseeing the programme is a Listowel man and eminent educator. I hope there will be further consultation with parents before any decision is made by the trustees of the various schools. I am particularly concerned about the future of St. Joseph's secondary school in Balyybunion, which may be vulnerable. The role of the VEC in Kerry must be safeguarded. VEC schools are often the poor relation when it comes to amalgamations and rationalisation programmes. They may not have the power of some other schools but it is important that there be public accountability at all levels in the education system.

I have brought the Minister's attention to Dromclough national school, whose 190 pupils, eight teachers and three special needs assistants are waiting some time for a technical team to decide whether they will be granted a new school or a renovation. I understand a new school has been agreed in principle and I ask the Minister to take a personal interest in what is an excellent school with an outstanding principal.

A principal of another school in Kerry asked me to point out that there has been a universally positive response to the new T4 technical drawing programme. The Minister has endowed it with grants for equipment, furniture and so on. The only problem seems to be a deficit in accommodation. If a room has to be designated for technical drawing, there does not seem to be sufficient funding to make up the balance other than through the provision of prefabricated accommodation.

Reference was made earlier to the notion of a philosophy of education. This is something the Minister might debate with us on another occasion. I was educated in St. Michael's College, a small secondary school in Listowel.