Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I want to emphasise that the Minister of State, as an educationalist, will appreciate that this kind of crisis should not take place. There should be an early warning system rather than a fire brigade action at the end of a period of time. My information is that the crisis emerging at this school was present for some time. I am glad to see that the FSSU has been engaged by the Department now to support the school and that the acceleration of payment of the particular funding has been put in place.

Two lessons must be learned from this. First, parents should not be treated in this way under any circumstance. It is a terrible shock for parents to receive a letter of the kind my work colleague received. Second, the early warning system in the Department should operate much faster and the FSSU should get involved much more quickly. The situation of the shock letter that was sent to parents threatening to close their school with effectively two weeks' notice should not recur. I thank the Minister of State.