Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Today I would like to raise an issue that I have raised three times previously concerning staffing levels at the Assumption girls national school in Walkinstown. I wish to propose an amendment to the Order of Business to invite the Minister for Education and Skills to address the House on this matter, as this is my third time raising it but nothing has been done.

The aforementioned school applied for developing school status earlier this year and was granted two extra classes.Ultimately, due to the housing and homelessness crisis, it caused many families in the area to move outside of the catchment area, leaving the school short of seven pupils immediately before the return of the school term.

It is understood today that the Department of Education and Skills sent a letter to the school refusing the appeal, ultimately ensuring that a teacher will have to be let go this Friday. The school is in the very heart of Dublin 12, where we have considerable anti-social behaviour - much of the gangland crime we describe stems from this area. All of this means that children in this area will lose a teacher. It means that the classes of 90 pupils in the school will have to merge and there will be a merged fifth and sixth class. Ultimately, this means there will be three larger classes with pupil-teacher ratios of 30:1, well above the EU and Irish averages. This is in a school in the heart of one of the most disadvantaged parts of Dublin city. It would not happen in more affluent parts of Dublin city or in any other part of the country.

On this basis I am asking for the Minister for Education and Skills to address the House today, explain why the matter has not been addressed properly and to give the House some answers.