Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 21 Mar 1961

Vol. 187 No. 7

Vote 34—Primary Education.

Aire Oideachais (Pádraig Ó hIrighile)

Tairgim:—

"Go ndeonófar suim fhorlíontach nach mó ná £50,000 chun íoctha an mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31ú lá de Mhárta, 1961, le haghaidh Bunoideachais, leana n-áirítear Aoisliúntas Múinteoirí Scoile Náisiúnta, etc.

That a supplementary sum not exceeding £50,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1961, for Primary Education, including National School Teachers Superannuation, etc."

The Supplementary Estimate for primary education is necessary in order to meet:

(1) The additional amount of £14,500 required to cover the running costs of St. Patrick's Training College as the ordinary income of the College by way of grants and fees has proved insufficient to maintain facilities in the college at the level considered adequate.

(2) The sum of £4,500 to meet the revised scales of salary for the staffs of the Preparatory Colleges which were introduced as from the 1st February, 1960.

(3) The amount of £50,000 by which the cost of salaries of teachers in classification schools and grants to capitation schools was underestimated.

(4) An additional sum of £8,000 towards the cost of the heating and cleaning of national schools. This arises from the fact that the local expenditure on which the grants are based was greater than had been expected at the time the original Estimate had been prepared.

The total of these amounts is £77,000. Of this, £27,000 is being met through savings under the other subheads of the Vote and increased appropriations-in-aid so that the net amount of the supplementary estimate for primary education is £50,000.

Risteárd Ua Maolchatha

An bhféadfadh leis an Aire a rá an bhfuil aon chuid den £14,500 i gcóir Choláiste Naomh Pádraig ag dul chun foirgnimh a chur suas nó a dheisiú?

Pádraig Ó hIrighile

Níl.

Mr. D. Costello

I want to take the opportunity afforded by this Supplementary Estimate to say a few words about the necessity for making special provisions for training special teachers to deal with mentally handicapped children. The problem of the mentally handicapped children in our schools is one which has been long neglected.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

I am sorry to interrupt the Deputy but I feel that that question would not arise on the Supplementary Estimate.

Mr. D. Costello

Nor am I going to go into it in detail, but I want to refer to the necessity, which I submit does arise on this Supplementary Estimate, of providing specially trained teachers to deal with the problem of mentally handicapped children. This Supplementary Estimate deals with the training colleges and I suggest I am entitled to refer to the work done in these colleges and the manner in which, in my view, this work should be improved. I want to take the opportunity of suggesting to the Minister that at present there is a great need for increasing the number of special teachers who are capable of dealing with mentally handicapped children.

The position, as I understand it at present, is that there is a very great lack of teachers capable of dealing with this problem. There are a great number of children who do not get the training and teaching which their particular type of handicap requires. I should like to see a concerted effort made to ensure that we have a sufficient number of teachers specially trained to deal with these unfortunate children. I am quite satisfied that the teachers would come forward. I know that one of the problems is that this is a very special type of vocation, that a very special type of people are required and very special gifts are needed to deal with children who are mentally handicapped or mentally retarded. I do feel that among our teaching staffs at present, and outside among people who are working among these children, among social workers in other branches of social activity, there are people who would be prepared to devote themselves to this work of helping mentally handicapped children. I feel it is necessary for us to organise on a very large scale a number of teachers who will be in a position to deal with this problem.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

There is nothing in the Supplementary Estimate to which the Deputy could relate his remarks.

Mr. D. Costello

I appreciate the indulgence of the Chair if I have gone beyond the limits of what he would consider proper——

General Mulcahy

I submit that Deputy Costello might relate his remarks to sub-head C. 1., where £50,000 additional is being provided for teachers, a number of whom are without any special training and are dealing with handicapped children in the ordinary schools. He might even add to the point that something could be done for some of the teachers already being trained.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

The Chair has allowed Deputy Costello to make his point.

Mr. D. Costello

I cannot complain.

General Mulcahy

I am trying to salve your conscience.

Mr. D. Costello

I have made the point I wanted to make and I trust that when the Estimate comes up for discussion at a later stage the opportunity will be given to the House to discuss this very real problem in greater detail.

Pádraig Ó hIrighile

Mar gheall ar an cheist a chuir an Teachta Ua Maolchatha chugam, tá socair go n-osclófar Coláiste Íde. Coláiste Muire, Coláiste Éinde agus Coláiste Íosagáin mar mhean scoileanna "A" ón gcéad lá Lúnasa, 1961, sé sin, gach scoil ach amháin an ceann ag an bhFalcharrach. Níl aon rud réidh fós faoi sin.

Risteárd Ua Maolchatha

Beidh meánscoil i nGaillimh agus sa Daingean?

Pádraig Ó hIrighile

Beidh Coláiste Éinde, Coláiste Íosagáin, Coláiste Muire agus Coláiste Íde ina meán scoileanna.

Risteárd Ua Maolchatha

An mbeidh aon fuílleach fágtha ins na scoileanna sin de scoláirí a bhí mar scoláirí Choláiste Ullumhúcháin?

Pádraig Ó hIrighile

Beidh siad ann go dti go mbeidh an cúrsa críochnaithe acu.

Risteárd Ua Maolchatha

Tiochfaidh gnáth scoláirí isteach ins na scoileanna sin anois agus beidh an tárna bliain ann dos na scoláirí eile?

Dr. Hillery

While what Deputy Costello said might not relate strictly to the Supplementary Estimate I can tell him that we have prepared a course of study this year for the training in St. Patrick's Training College of teachers for the type of work to which he referred.

General Mulcahy

For men?

Dr. Hillery

Yes, at St. Patrick's.

General Mulcahy

Is there nothing for women?

Dr. Hillery

This is a start.

Risteárd Ua Maolchatha

Bfhéidir go mbeadh gádh níos mó le mnáibh.

Pádraig Ó hIrighile

Tosnófar le cúrsa sé mhí imbliana.

Vote put and agreed to.