Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I propose an amendment to today's Order of Business to invite the Minister for Education and Science to the House to discuss the escalating crisis in our schools which threatens to bring them to a halt. Is the Government concerned about the news that teaching unions have directed their members from 8 March not to carry out middle management duties of teachers not replaced as a result of the moratorium? Let us consider what will be affected if teachers stop carrying out these duties. This involves year heads who supervise hundreds of students, teachers who arrange transition year and leaving certificate applied programmes, and teachers who set exams and manage timetables. This type of action, if it is not headed off now, will bring our schools to a halt. This is very bad news for education.