The House will now hear two minute statements on matters appropriate to the Minister for Education and the Minister for Defence. It is proposed to call Deputies in the following order: Deputy McGahon in respect of one matter to the Minister for Education; Deputy Nealon in respect of one matter to the Minister for Education; Deputy Hogan in respect of two matters to the Minister for Education and Deputy Nealon in respect of one matter to the Minister for Defence. I now call on Deputy McGahon, who has a maximum of two minutes.
Adjournment Debate. - Education and Defence Matters.
My grievance concerns the decision to rob Stonetown national school, County Louth, of a teacher because the school is short one child in pupil numbers. I can only describe that decision as yet another Fianna Fáil attack on rural life. It underlines the need of adult education for Department officials and the public who vote for that party.
The Minister's refusal to meet the parents of the school was an insult to a most hardworking, committed and responsible group. It is a reflection on the two Fianna Fáil Deputies in County Louth, who either did not or could not arrange a meeting with their Minister, the very minimum that a Dáil Deputy can expect from a Minister.
At Stonetown national school one teacher will attempt to teach four classes while in the other class babies, high infants and first and second classes will compete for the attention of a hapless teacher trying to cope with newcomers and introduce them to education. It is unreasonable and wrong to ask any teacher to try to cope with that task. What about the slow learners? Will the Minister hold back the bright kids to keep pace with the slow pupils or go ahead with the bright ones and forgot about the slow learners?
It seems that larger schools with their "walking" principals, secretaries, gardeners and single-subject classes are light years ahead of the country national schools.
The Stonetown community are willing to pay the third teacher's salary in the coming year. If that magnanimous gesture were to be ignored that would be an outrage and an expression of hostility to every parent in the Stonetown area.
In the case of Louth national school, serving an area of high unemployment, social deprivation and increasing vandalism, the pupil shortfall is three. Again, the removal of a teacher will cause significant social problems and further distress to slow learners. As both areas I have referred to are disadvantaged socially and in every other way I call on the Minister to retain those teachers and provide a shared remedial teacher.
I refer the Minister to what happened in Jobstown. Under strong political pressure from the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Flood, the Minister made yet another U-turn and retained teachers. I am asking that the same consideration be given to the children of County Louth, who will not accept being graded as second class citizens and want the same standards and criteria as those applying in County Dublin. I ask the Minister to accept my case and reinstate the two teachers.
The number of pupils enrolled has been declining in recent years, hence the fact that Ms. Marie Rice, the second assistant teacher, has been placed on the Armagh diocesan panel for redeployment. Ms. Rice has now accepted a post in another school as from 1 September 1991. If the school have more than 70 pupils enrolled in September the board of management may apply for an additional teacher then under the maximum class size guidelines. Officials from my Department met a joint deputation of parents from Stonetown national school and Louth national school yesterday and the position was outlined to the parents.
The number of pupils at Louth national school has also been declining, hence the fact that Ms. Mary Larney, the third assistant teacher, has been placed on the Armagh diocesan panel for redeployment.
I accept the very reasonable point put forward by Deputy McGahon, but the fact is that it is not possible to breach the guidelines, even though in one case the school needs only one more pupil to be over the guideline limit. Were the Government to make an exception in that case we would have to breach the guidelines all over the country. The Deputy will understand that that is not possible. In relation to Stonetown national school, having one teacher to 31 pupils is not a terribly bad ratio, even though we would all like it to be better.
Creevylea national school, Drumkeeran, is now only a one teacher school. This has been the position since June 1989 when it lost its second teacher. Sufficient time, therefore, has elapsed to evaluate the effect in practice of the one teacher position.
Despite the best efforts of the one teacher in Creevylea there are inevitably serious difficulties. That one teacher has to contend with the requirements of 27 pupils, in eight different classes from junior infants to sixth; and, of the 27, five or six are in need of constant and special remedial attention.
Also we must face the fact that for many who attend Creevylea national school this is the end of their formal education. That is the way it is in this and many other areas in my constituency. So it is essential that the primary education available is as wide and comprehensive as possible.
Where there is just one teacher there is inevitably a temptation for parents to send their sons and daughters to alternative schools in the area with bigger staffs. Four have already been lost to Creevylea. So now the community must face the fact that unless the second teacher is restored they could lose their school altogether down along the line. This would be devastating coming on top of the many other closures in that area.
The people of the area naturally want the best in education for their children. In the past with two teachers they got the best — the record of Creevylea pupils when they moved on the second level very clearly proved that. As the Minister knows only too well, this is a disadvantaged area. I have explained the special needs of five or six of the pupils in the school, that the education received in the primary school will be the only formal education for some and that this is an area with many difficulties to combat. I know the Minister would like to restore the second teacher. In light of all these factors, I am sure a way will be found.
The enrolment at the school on 30 September 1990 was 26. The post of the first assistant was suppressed on 31 August 1989 due to the falling enrolments. The assistant teacher was redeployed to an alternative school. Circular 14/91, which recently issued to the boards of management of national schools, outlined arrangements for a new maximum class size of 28 for one teacher schools with more than four standards. If Creevylea national school has a valid enrolment of more than 28 pupils in September 1991 the question of allocating an additional post to the school can be considered under this new arrangement.
I intend to be brief in relation to the two matters and perhaps we could take them together in the two minutes.
It would be better to take one minute for the first one, allow the Minister to reply and then take the other matter.
The first matter I wish to raise is the question of Clogh national school in Kilkenny. The Minister will be aware that there are 96 pupils in this school and four teachers. The provision of a new national school at Clogh was signalled by the Department of Education in about 1985 in the first instance. There has been a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between the Department of Education and the board of management over the years.
The conditions there at the moment can only be described as abysmal. The Minister herself visited the area in October 1990 at a very appropriate time in order to meet the board of management of Clogh national school and indicated that there would be no difficulty in bringing forward the necessary stages to implement the decision to build a new school at Clogh. Nothing has happened in the meantime. I am asking the Minister this evening if the finance is on the way to commence this project immediately.
I am glad the Deputy has given me the opportunity of outlining my intentions in relation to Clogh national school. The Minister visited the school and it is appreciated that it is in bad condition and in need of development.
Sketch plans were sent to the local authority on 24 June 1991 so that planning permission could be obtained. When satisfactory planning permission has been received the preparation of tender documentation will be put in hands. I can assure the Deputy that every effort will be made to expedite the planning of this scheme once planning permission has been granted. However, I would caution on the difficulties that lie ahead in view of statements from the Minister for Finance in recent days as to the availability of capital resources.
The second matter I wish to raise is in regard to the conditions of education at primary level for the pupils attending schools in St. John's parish in Kilkenny city. I particularly refer to St. John's girls school where there are two shocking prefabs which have been there for over 25 years. I can assure the Minister that these are in an appalling condition.
There have been a number of discussions between the board of management of these schools and the Department of Education about whether to build a new school, amalgamate both schools or extend the St. John's boys school and the St. John's girls school on a co-educational basis. There is a delay in getting an answer from the Department of Education about their intentions. This is delaying the decision about whether there should be a new school or an amalgamation of facilities that are already there. I would be grateful if the Minister could clarify the present situation and tell us what the intentions of the Department are.
I am pleased that the Deputy wants me to clarify the situation. I think he knows well what it is. The matter has been the subject of discussion and correspondence with the school authorities over the past few years. As a consequence suitable arrangements for the school both from an educational and accommodation point of view have been agreed.
The proposal is to amalgamate the existing three junior schools into two and to establish them on the basis of junior and senior co-educational schools. It is proposed that the senior co-educational school will be accommodated in the existing boys school and this will necessitate an extension of two permanent classrooms and some ancillary accommodation. It is intended that the junior co-educational school will be accommodated in the existing girls and infant school, which will need upgrading and general improvements. As regards the boys school, a site extension is needed. My Department's architect visited the school last month and discussed the whole question with the chairperson and the necessary survey and mapping work will be undertaken next week by the design team.
This is the first opportunity I have had of wishing the new Minister for Defence well across the Floor of the House.
A directive has gone from the Government to the military authorities to cut back by 25 per cent the strength of the cadres of regular Army personnel attached full time to the FCA. This is a political decision and one which, of course, the military authorities have to put into effect. The cadres of Army personnel are attached to the various FCA camps and are a vital component in the whole FCA structure and operation. Presumably the cutback in numbers is done to cut back on costs to save allowances and expenses and, along the line, cut back on regular Army recruitment.
As the Minister knows, proceeding with this will have serious impact on FCA operations. The representative association of the FCA has described it as a downgrading of the service and likely to do dreadful damage to operational ability. Needless to say, it will effect morale. It also comes at a time when the FCA have not even got sufficient station wagons to get them to proper training exercises.
The cut-back would also have very serious social consequences for the regular Army personnel transferred back to their barracks. They have their houses to pay for, with mortages taken on the strength of special allowances they are paid. They have children at school who will have to be uprooted. It will be a total and extensive disruption of their lifestyles, for some of which the Army will have to pay.
We must question just how this directive is to be implmented. If there is one storeman in a cadre he obviously cannot be taken away; otherwise who looks after the guns? There are other categories who equally must be kept on. How then is the 25 per cent cut to be achieved without effectively ruining the contribution of the regular Army cadres to the FCA operations.
Finally, will there be a cost saving? I doubt it. The 60 or 70 regular Army personnel returned to their barracks will obviously get compensation for the social upheaval and disturbance. I presume that on the social aspect the military authorities will have to deal with the new Army organisations.
I believe that this was a bureaucratic decision, the consequences of which were never thought out fully. I expect that the Minister, new in his position, will resist this cutback because of the implications I have outlined.
Let me first thank Deputy Nealon for his good wishes which I appreciate very much.
The cost of the pay and allowances of the Permanent Defence Force personnel attached to units of the FCA on a full-time basis for administration and training purposes amounted to £14 million in 1990. Those personnel are dispersed among 124 sub-units — companies, batteries and squadrons — throughout the State.
The report of the Gleeson Commission clearly underlined the desirability of examining the whole question of the present deployment of the Defence Forces and it is in this context that the question of rationalisation of FCA units is being addressed. Proposals have not yet been formulated in this regard. Examination of the matter is proceeding and there will be no decision in relation to the number of staff to be retained at any particular location until this examination has been completed.
The review I have referred to has been ongoing for some time and is not connected with the current assessment of the public finances.
The Dail adjourned at 5.45 p.m. until 11.30 a.m. on Friday, 5 July 1991.