I thank the Chair for the opportunity to address this issue. I have a vested interest in this issue as I have worked in a disadvantaged school in the north inner city area of Dublin for more than 20 years. I have many friends and colleagues working there doing and performing a great service for people. I am proud of the teachers who have dedicated their careers and lives to work in such areas. Over the years these teachers have shown great compassion, understanding, dedication and the radical vision of dealing with major changes in our society. I want the Minister to recognise that reality and support my request.
We must reward dedication, integrity and, above all, good practice and quality professionalism in the education service. This is the only way forward. We have to show vision but, above all, we must make provision. The vision has got to be accompanied by provision. We must listen to the teachers on the ground in disadvantaged areas. Their views are important and their ideas would make a significant contribution to the elimination of disadvantage in our society.
Once known as the land of saints and scholars, Ireland is today better known as the land of scandals and tribunals. Politics, banking, the church, business, health, the law and the Garda have all suffered an erosion of public confidence. Ireland has undergone rapid social and economic change, yet a section of our people has been left behind. This shows us that we have to look at the ethics and values in contemporary Ireland. We have to make tough decisions in the interests of the people left behind and we have to look after our teachers who are in the frontline. These teachers are our educators, social workers, football coaches, artists and sometimes defenders of children at risk, and they must get our support. We must recognise the ongoing crisis in the recruitment and retention of staff in designated disadvantaged schools. I call on the Minister to support the Irish National Teachers Organisation, INTO, in its demands for an allowance payable to teachers in disadvantaged schools comparable with that paid to teachers with a special duties post, and an early retirement scheme for teachers serving these schools based on an additional year's full pension and lump sum credits for every eight years served by a teacher in a disadvantaged school.
These are sensible and practical proposals and I urge the Minister and the Department to listen to the views of the INTO on the issue. If he does, he will take radical steps and invest in the future and a quality education service for poor children. We would all win in such a situation. It is similar to the debate that took place on free second level education. Many of us present are the products of that decision and vision. We need to reward initiative, good practice and courage. This debate is about these matters.
I agree that we must be more focused as there have been too many pilot schemes. We need to provide stability in disadvantaged schools which must be funded and resourced because that is the way forward. There is too much coming and going. As we know, stability and support are the ways to deal with difficult children. Hence the teacher is a major factor in the equation. That is the reason there is an urgent need for this allowance. It would be a way of saying, "Thank you," for the extra effort, rewarding good practice and another key step in breaking the cycle of educational disadvantage.
I do not want to hear any more of the whingers in Cabinet say it would be a waste of public money. It would not; it would be a small investment in the future of the education system for greater returns. This is a chance for the Minister to make his mark on education. He should take a clear, progressive and correct view by putting a little extra public money into disadvantaged schools. An allowance of €5,000 would be a small price to pay. We now have 1,587 pupils in the Early Start programme and 2,320 in Giving Children an Even Break schemes. These are excellent projects but we need to ensure their stability by retaining teachers. The best way to do this is by caring for them. They also need an even break and our support.
I urge the Minister to implement this recommendation. It is a positive, progressive and common sense proposal to assist disadvantaged schools.
