I thank the Chair for giving me the opportunity to raise this important matter on the Adjournment this evening.
The area from Falcarragh to Creeslough in north west Donegal is left without the services of a remedial teacher. This region is situated between Muckish Mountain and Horn Head on the Atlantic Ocean with Tory Island on the distant horizon — incidentally also without recourse to remedial facilities. There are eight primary schools in this area. As one travels north from Falcarragh the first is Murroe national school. In the town of Dunfanaghy there are two schools, namely Dunfanaghy national school and the Church of Ireland school. As you drive further north you have Ballymore Church of Ireland school and Faugher national school. In the town of Creeslough there are two schools, the national school and the Church of Ireland school and outside of Creeslough there is an eighth school, Glassan, incidentally a Gaeltacht school. There we have a total of eight schools, 16 teachers and several hundred children but without remedial facilities.
It is difficult to understand why such a large area should be completely ignored so far as remedial education is concerned. It would seem to meet all the criteria and conditions necessary for the provision of such a service as outlined time and time again by the Department of Education.
I have spoken to teachers, parents and other interested parties in the area and it would seem that all the usual socioeconomic conditions employed in deciding where to provide remedial educational facilities are there.
It is noteworthy that of the eight schools I have mentioned, three are Church of Ireland and five are Catholic schools. The ideal solution in this area would be the appointment of two remedial teachers, one to cater for the needs and requirements of the three Church of Ireland schools and the other to look after the requirements of the five Catholic schools. There is an excellent spirit of co-operation and goodwill, not alone between the schools of different denominations but indeed in the community as a whole.
As a former teacher I strongly believe in the benefits of providing remedial services at the earliest possible date in the necessitous pupils education cycle. It is more helpful and advantageous to undertake solving this problem as early as possible in the career of the school child and the results are often more effective if the service is provided at primary school rather than leaving it until they go to post primary school where the problem is much more difficult to overcome.
The teachers and parents in the Dunfanaghy-Creeslough areas find it difficult to understand that other parts of Donegal have been fortunate enough to have the services of remedial teachers for years but that their needs and claims are overlooked and ignored. I understand that altogether there are 20,000 primary pupils in Donegal with the services of 30 remedial teachers. It is a mystery that such a large area comprising so many schools, pupils and teachers is left without such a service.
I urge the Minister and the Department to give this matter urgent attention. I am sure the Minister, Deputy Cowen, who was good enough to be present this evening, will convey to the Minister for Education that the most valuable gift the pupils, parents and teachers in the schools from Murroe to Creeslough and Glassan could receive is the news that the Department will sanction at least one, if not two, remedial teachers for the area.
