I thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, for selecting this motion tonight and thank the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Tom Kitt, for coming here to reply.
This issue is ongoing. The Government has indicated for some time it will implement this scheme. It is now the end of the school year and we are talking about the transfer of funding at the beginning of September. It is not good enough that school authorities do not know the amount involved other than the global figure of £45 million. A number of secretaries, caretakers and school assistants are involved in these worthwhile schemes. The Minister has not indicated if each school will be allocated its grant on a per capita basis. If that is the case, will the Minister of State indicate the exact amount per capita each school will get? If the global figure of £45 million is divided up, it will mean approximately £10,000 per school. That is a totally unsatisfactory position for school board management and operators of the schemes.
What is the situation as regards FÁS? We know the Minister, Deputy Harney, does not like it and it is the policy of her party. The Minister of State's party, the main party in the Government, is going along with it. What is her policy on community employment schemes? These schemes are being abolished slowly but surely. Small schools are being affected. Will the health services be affected next? Will the Minister of State acknowledge that people with disabilities are being denied personal assistants? I hope he denies that is happening. Will the environment also be affected? It is totally unsatisfactory as we face into 1 September. Will supervisors be made redundant? School assistants and the others involved in schools are part of the delivery of a good service.
There will be a shortfall in terms of funding, according to the figures available to us unless the Minister of State tells us otherwise. There will be a major shortfall in terms of facilities and personnel available to school management. The alternative to paying current labour market wages, which is what the Minister wants to do, is the community employment scheme. Schools do not have the capacity to make up that shortfall. I will give the Minister of State one example of a small school. There are 101 disadvantaged children and 32 non-nationals in an infant school which has 290 four to seven year old students. The total amount for that school which has a secretary, who is not on the community employment scheme, four classroom assistants and one caretaker, would be £72,000. The grants available amount to £16,000. The shortfall for that school in September will be £56,000. That is unacceptable. Such funding is beyond the reach of most schools. It is time the Minister for Education and Science knew the exact amounts and told the schools. The Government must decide how it will bridge the gap.