Rónán Mullen (Independent)

Ba bhreá liom i dtosach báire fáilte a chuir roimh an Aire. Ba léir ó bheith ag éisteacht léi go bhfuil barr-feabhas bainte amach aici. Tá máistreacht aici ar gach rud a bhaineann le cúrsaí oideachais sa tír. Ní ionann é sin agus a rá go bhfuil an ceart aici an t-am ar fad, nó ag an Rialtas. Glacaim leis go ndúirt sí an-chuid atá thar a bheith ciallmhar. Ba bhreá liom labhairt faoi trí ábhar san am atá agam. I dtosach báire, ba mhaith liom labhairt mar gheall ar maoiniú na scoileanna dara-leibhéal. Ina dhiaidh sin, labhróidh mé faoi ceist stúiriú agus pátrúnacht sa chóras bunscolaíochta.

I note the Minister's comment that while we may be spending less on education than other OECD countries, the spend is more focussed. However, it is a cause for concern that the figure of 4.6% of GDP places us last out of 30 OECD states. Secondary level education, for example, must be given the priority it deserves. The establishment of the new post-primary education forum is to be welcomed. Part of its brief is to lobby for increased funding and I wish it well in this.

It is time to speed up the process of equalisation of State funding as between community, comprehensive and VEC schools, on the one hand, and voluntary secondary schools, on the other. Almost 60% of second level students attend 400 voluntary secondary schools. Considerable measures have been put in place to bridge the gap, with certain equalisation measures included in the school services support fund that are exclusive to voluntary secondary schools. The gap persists, however, and that is an affront to the right of parents to make choices about the type of secondary school their children attend. It is a long time since the report of the steering group on the funding of second level education, which called for the payments of grants to all voluntary secondary schools to meet the costs of insurance, secretaries, caretakers and cleaning and repairs. It is scandalous that there is not equalisation of funding. I acknowledge an interest in that I am involved in the governance of 100 voluntary secondary schools through the CEIST network. It is a just cause and I hope that parity will be established in the forthcoming budget.

Ba mhaith liom labhairt mar gheall ar an tumoideachais. Aontaím le mo chomhleacaithe, an Seanadóir O'Toole, ach b'fhéidir go rachfainn níos faide. It is too simple to make a comparison between the teaching of Irish and English, because tá an Béarla buanaithe sa tír ar bhealach nach bhfuil an Ghaeilge. Glacaim go bhfuil an rud go hindíreach os comhair na cúirte. Molaim don Aire nach bhfuil sé ró-dhéanach dul ar thóir taighde. Ba cheart don Aire an taighde a dhéanamh mar a mholadh di.

Gaelscoileanna will be pleased to accept whatever results a study would show. It is important to note that although the Department of Education and Science is the paymaster, it is not its function to be excessively in control of how educational services are delivered for the various communities that require them. International research shows there is no disadvantage to pupils in an immersion approach for a period of some years. It is important that research should be undertaken in this State. It would take some two years to gather and it should be done. In the absence of such research, we are operating on the basis of ideology and people will not understand or accept the decision that has been made. Postgraduate research from NUI Galway indicates that the standard of English is higher in these schools. People are willing to accept the outcome of whatever study is done. Bheadh sé níos fearr an taighde a dhéanamh ná an lámh láidir a úsáid.

Members may be familiar with the story of the United States politican who smeared an opponent by suggesting he had a child out of wedlock. "I know it ain't true", the slanderer said, "but I want to see the son of a gun get up there and deny it".