I mentioned when I was speaking last week certain aspects with regard to the arbitration system and how it was set up. In this case the public service arbitrator awarded teachers a 10 per cent pay increase in two phases. The first phase of the award was to take effect from 1 September 1985 and the second phase from 1 March 1986. This 10 per cent was half of what the teachers sought in their submissions to the Government. The public service arbitrator who was appointed by the Government is chairman of the teachers' arbitration board. Following the hearing of a claim it is his duty to decide on the amount of an award, if any, to be made and to present his recommendations in a report to the Government.
Both the Government and the unions concerned have always considered themselves bound by the recommendations of the arbitrator. In the present case, however, the public service arbitrator drew up his draft report in accordance with established practice and supplied copies to the parties. However, contrary to established practice, some person or persons decided for their own purposes to leak the terms of the draft report to the media. All the indications are that the leaks came from Government sources. I would ask the question: why? Obviously, it was to prepare the ground publicly to scrap arbitration awards or to test the teachers' reaction. The teachers' reaction was simply one of fury. They have been appalled at the devious underhand attempts to leak the terms of the award. They feel that they have been insulted by the Minister lecturing them on the morality of their claim.
It prompts me to ask the question: who was immoral? The teachers, who went through the normal channels to present a claim and abided by the guidelines laid down, or the people who broke confidence and leaked the terms of the draft? On 19 August, the Minister, in a singularly inept and offensive attack on public service unions and the teachers' unions in particular, made the demand that those organisations who publicly clamour for increases should address themselves to the morality of what they are about. I do not believe that it was a slip of the tongue. It seemed at the time to be a deliberately calculated insult by the Minister or her mentors.
I would ask this House to stop and think: who prepares the children for their first holy communion, confirmation, teaches them their prayers and inculcates in them a love of God and country? Who has kept the idea of the Gaelic Ireland alive? Who has nurtured the youth of Ireland in the skills of Gaelic football and hurling? Who but the teachers? This is hardly the work of an immoral band of people.
The one-day strikes and rally in Croke Park and the march to Leinster House were supported by the vast majority of teachers. They were not led by their executives into hasty action, as the Government would like us to believe. They led their executives. Teachers, old and young, travelled from all parts of the country at their own expense and at the loss of a day's pay. They feel very hurt and insulted by the Government's attitude towards them. The children have suffered also. Is this the kind of confrontation the Government want in our schools?
As I mentioned last week, there has been peace in our schools for countless years. The teachers are a peaceful and conservative group of people. They are being driven out of their schools and on to the streets by Government action. Twenty thousand teachers sat in the Hogan Stand listening to their executives. They vowed that their campaign will continue until justice is done. It is a curious twist of fate that the headquarters of the GAA, in the founding of which the teachers played such a noble part, should be the scene of their protest against unjust treatment by this Government. As the arbitrator said, it would be unjust to single out the teachers and reduce their award. To my knowledge teachers have co-operated in all the educational advances proposed by the Department of Education over the years and, indeed, have initiated many of them themselves.
We have an educational system in Ireland of which we can be proud. It is one of the most advanced in Europe. Yet, at the same time, as figures to date will prove it is the most underfinanced educational system in Europe, with the highest teacher-pupil ratio. Savage cutbacks in education have put great strain on those involved in the educational process. The teacher-pupil ratio has not been lowered for many years. What used to be an annual audio-visual grant is now given every fourth or fifth year. Grants for the repainting of schools have been abolished. Caretakers and school secretaries are not being replaced. Necessary repairs to buildings are now engulfed in governmental red tape for years with the result that many fine schools all over the country are decaying at an alarming rate. There is a serious shortage of remedial teachers and career guidance counsellors for the pupils in our schools.
Teachers have a further problem on their hands at present, and they have had this problem for a number of years. Corporal punishment, which I do not fully approve of, was abolished with the stroke of a pen by a former Minister. A code of discipline which was promised has never, to my knowledge, replaced corporal punishment. It is against that background that I speak in support of the motion.
I come from an area in North Meath where we are awaiting a school extension to our post-primary school and gymnasium which had been promised as far back as 1969. We are awaiting a replacement roof in our national school. The school was only built a few short years ago but the roof has deteriorated to such an extent that teachers have to use umbrellas— believe it or not — in a classroom. We are awaiting new schools in the town of Ceanannus Mór, in the village of Bobber and in Castlepollard. It is in this mood of frustration that teachers find themselves today in serious conflict with this Government.
Our motion is very clear and specific. It simply calls on this Government to re-assert their commitment to the agreed procedures of conciliation and arbitration for teachers and to enter into immediate discussions with the three teachers' unions. When I look at the amendment tabled by the Government parties I fail to understand why they feel it is necessary to table such an amendment.