Averil Power (Fianna Fail)

I refer to the impact on disadvantaged areas of the education cuts included in the budget announced last week. I ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the rationale behind the cuts. It is extraordinary that the Government decided to target some of the most severely disadvantaged areas in the country for such savage cuts. It belies the claim made by it that it would protect some of the most vulnerable people in society from cutbacks. It is a great shame that it is undoing much of the progress made in these schools in recent years.

The Minister met some of the principals this week, including the principal of the school in Darndale where the junior national school has classes of 15 children. With small classes and excellent staff who are committed and hard-working, the school has made incredible progress in the past few years. The Minister is aware of the literacy programme. Within two years the school managed to increase achievement levels among first and second class pupils. It increased the number of pupils performing among the best in their age group from no one reaching that level to 20%, which is incredible. This is a positive sign for the future in a community that has struggled and taken a long time to make such progress. It is a shame to put this in jeopardy as a result of cutbacks.

The increase from 15 to 22 pupils per class represents an increase of 50%, an incredible difference in a teaching environment in which good results are being achieved. I, therefore, urge the Minister to re-examine this matter. I wonder if he was aware of the impact on individual schools when he made the decision. Had he seen a list of the schools involved and did he know that they would be hit this much? The school in Darndale is losing five teachers out of 16. I wonder if the Minister was aware the impact would be so significant for individual schools. The Taoiseach was unaware because when he answered questions from my party leader in the Dáil this week, he said existing DEIS schools would not be affected. I found this incredible.

There was a reference to legacy issues, which is an unhelpful term because it implies that the only reason teachers are in place is their positions were granted a long time ago and that they have not been making a contribution since, which is unfair. Darndale school has been making great progress, progress that the Department has recognised and lauded and which was held this up as an example for other schools serving disadvantaged communities that could get good results.

Did the Department carry out a cost-benefit analysis on the long-term impact of this? Whatever about it being socially regressive to take teachers out of these schools, it does not add up economically, particularly when we look at the long-term costs not just to the Department of Education and Skills but to the Garda budget and the Department of Social Protection. There is no economic rationale for it. Was the long-term economic impact considered? Apart from the Breaking the Cycle posts that are being taken away from those schools, other schools that have served as best they can areas that have traditionally not had a good educational achievement, such as Kilbarrack and Priorswood, will also be affected by the changes for special needs children and the disimprovement in the ratio for the general allocation model.

This is unfortunate and while I appreciate cuts must be made in the budget and our party accepts that €3.8 billion had to be found, there is a fairer way to do it and education should have been prioritised. I am sure the Minister fought as hard as he could for his Department but the Cabinet as a whole should see this as an area that should be protected with a view to the future of society. I urge the Minister to rethink this. I welcome the movement on the disability cuts, which were perhaps not thought through, and I hope this will be another area where changes can be made before long-term damage is done.