Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)

Tréaslaím leis an Aire as ucht an cinneadh a rinne sé inné dul siar ar an gearradh siar a bhí déanta ag an Rialtas roimhe. I commend the Minister on reversing the cut introduced by the previous Government to funding for regional airports. If the Minister were to come to the House we could put the case for Galway Airport in a vehement fashion so that he might help it to come to a position of sustainability and viability within the next two or three years.

Tá go leor daoine ag guimhe deaghuí ar na daltaí atá ag déanamh scrúduithe agus ba mhaith liomsa an rud chéanna a dhéanamh. We also need to remember that there are 17,615 pupils in two-teacher schools around the country. The future of those schools is in jeopardy. The pupils attending them will do their junior certificates and leaving certificates in the future. We have great expertise in this House. I would like the Minister for Education and Skills to come to the House to debate the future of those schools so that it does not become merely an academic exercise, as such, in an office in Dublin where the number of pupils in a school is the only reason taken on board when we look at its future viability. Those schools have a vital role to play in their communities. Tá sé an-tábhachtach do phobal na tuaithe go mbeadh na scoileanna ann, ach tá gearradh siar á dhéanamh ar sheirbhísí faoin dtuath. Mar sin, ba mhaith liom go dtiocfadh an tAire isteach le go gcuirfeadh muid ár dtuairimí in iúl faoin tábhacht a bhaineann leis na scoileanna beaga tuaithe ar fud an iarthair agus ar fud na tíre.