Michael D'Arcy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the issue that I raised last week when the Leader was not here, the standard of responses given by Ministers. I take the opportunity to bring this House into line with the Dáil. When a Senator tables a question to a Minister and he or she is dissatisfied with the answer, we should be able to appeal to the Cathaoirleach and have the question immediately asked again. Such a measure would prove helpful to Senators. The days of Ministers of State coming here to read a script handed to them should end because that was what happened during the term of office of the last Government. Unfortunately, the same is happening during the term of this Government and it should quickly come to an end.

I have raised the following matter on a number of occasions. In the last budget the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, made a bad decision about DEIS schools. He subsequently reversed it, which was the correct move. Because of a legacy issue, a number of schools that have met all of the DEIS programme requirements are still not considered to be in that category. Not alone do they not benefit from DEIS school pupil-teacher ratios and other benefits, but they are also being forced to accept the same reductions as standard schools. It means such schools have been abandoned twice, which is a mistake. I call on the Minister to do what is required when it comes to the arithmetic for the budget. Not many schools are involved, certainly not hundreds. Unless we take steps now, we will have to commence regeneration schemes such as those undertaken in certain areas of Limerick. I hope the Minister will do as I ask.