Shane Curley (Fianna Fail)

The Gort area small schools pilot project in south Galway has been such a success that the cluster administration officer in that role has been name-checked and highlighted as a shining light of what can be rolled out across the country for small schools. The role allows one day of administrative relief per school per week. It is a genius idea. It has been such a success for the schools that have been involved in the pilot in south Galway that it should be rolled out more nationally. We need to see that more aggressively rolled out in the coming months in the rural parts of east Galway. I urge the Minister to include that in the budget this year to allow for the finance to be provided. It has been costed at only €6 million per year. It is a lot of money in one way, but it is a small drop in the ocean regarding overall national budget.

With regards to the capitation grant, the €229 per student at primary level at the moment is not sustainable. We need to get that up to €299 or €300 that is being asked by the Irish National Teachers Organisation, INTO. That is critical at this stage in that what used to be voluntary contributions by parents are basically now involuntary contributions in the sense that if they are not given, the schools cannot pay their electricity bills. We need to move forward on that. We also have the largest average class sizes in the EU.

From an agricultural point of view, I met representatives of the Irish Farmers Association, IFA, yesterday. One thing that struck me as alarming is that the CAP is where LEADER is knitted in. LEADER funding for rural representatives is absolutely critical. It has kept us going in small communities in rural areas like Galway East. The rural regeneration and development fund, RGRD, is under stress at the moment such that if LEADER is not knitted into the next CAP and if the Minister does not get this right, there could be serious issues in funding in rural areas in the months and years ahead. We need to take a serious look at that. I ask that we invite the Minister, Deputy Heydon, to the House if he has time to talk about this in advance of the budget because he has to get this right. It is just timing that it has landed on him, but we must get this right.