Michael Mullins (Fine Gael)

I join in the welcome to the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon. I compliment him on the great work he is doing. As my constituency colleague I hope he might be able to help me out regarding a little difficulty I will mention in a moment.

I acknowledge the progress made in recent years in the area of investment in education and special needs. Unfortunately, the previous Government did not quite keep its eye on the ball and we now find ourselves in a most difficult financial situation and, inevitably, cuts will have to be made right across the board in all Departments. It appears that education will not remain unscathed.

I want to ensure that whatever else happens, the system will be fair and the most needy will benefit most. A school principal in my home town raised a concern with me. He is principal of a DEIS school which has a very high proportion of disadvantaged pupils and where 50% of the student population is classified as being from a disadvantaged background. I am very concerned that the number of learning support teachers is being cut by three. It was allowed four additional teachers because of the disadvantaged nature of the school. The numbers have been cut by three out of a total stuff population of 28. That is an 11% cut and I can see it causing severe ongoing problems for the school. A large proportion of the student population have exceptional needs. The teachers face major challenges without getting the support that they need. This cut is much too severe and will cause problems. There is a speech and language unit within the school which is taking in pupils who have a maturity age of two and a half. Many pupils have severe disabilities and come from very disadvantaged backgrounds.

I want to ensure the investment we make as a Government in primary education is targeted at people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Unless we do that, we will face serious difficulties in the future. Such children will drop out of school early and if they do not get the one to one care and attention they are currently getting, I can see major problems developing for such pupils. They are being cared for and taught in a very secure environment, are getting one-to-one attention and are making great progress. If we remove three teachers from the school, it will be a step backwards. I ask the Minister of State to consider the issue.