Speech by Dara Calleary TD

Fianna Fáil Private Members Motion condemning cuts to small schools

Wednesday, 01 February 2012

I would like to thank my colleague Brendan Smith TD for putting forward this motion and giving us the chance over the past two evening to highlight the vital role that small schools, scoileanna gaeilge and the schools of minority faiths play across this island and to especially highlight the danger to their continued existence because of these cuts announced by the Minister.

And let’s be clear from the start.

There is a danger to their existence.

This notion propagated by the minister and his colleagues in government during speeches and in the amendment to the Fianna Fáil motions that no school is been forced to close. Frankly you are all playing with words. I want to re-iterate the figures given by Brendan Smith yesterday evening and not counter acted by any government speaker.

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47% of the 3,200 primary schools in the state have 5 teachers or fewer so it is evident the huge impact the staffing schedules will have on small rural schools.

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These changes represent a dramatic increase. For example a Gaeltacht school will now need 83 pupils instead of 76 pupils in order to qualify for 4 teachers this year.

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The new retention figures published by the department are inequitable. A large school with 12 teachers needs another 28 pupils in order to become a 13 teacher school. However, for a 2-teacher school, if it wants to become a 3-teacher school this September, it will need an additional 37 pupils, while a 3-teacher school looking to become a 4-teacher school will need an additional 30 pupils. Why are small schools punished in comparison to larger schools? These new retention figures will, in fact, make it more difficult for the smaller schools to expand.

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65% of church of Ireland schools will be directly impacted by the new staffing schedules.

I don’t hear the department telling larger schools in this country– “to consider their future” and – “to assess their options for amalgamation” but it is clearly sending that message to smaller schools and in turn the department is planting a seed of doubt in the minds of parents who may wish to keep their children in their own communities.

Communities across this island, across my own county of Mayo are receiving this message from the Department. They are assessing how it will impact on them and that impact will be devastating in many areas. Communities such as that in Leenane on the Mayo Galway border are writing to us to outline that impact and in recent days. I and you Minister have received correspondence describing what will happen if the school in Leenane closes.

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Due to the geographical location the next nearest school is 24km away

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Owing to the dispersal of the area children from the school could end up going to 4 different schools-resulting in the division and abandonment of their community

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A family with two children going to school-one who has to be picked up at 2pm and one at 3. They live as I said 24km away from the school. There is no public transport. There will be days where the family involved will have to do two over and back runs-48km each way-a 96km school run in one day. Nobody wins from that situation.

That situation will be replicated across the country.

The other myth propagated by the minister yesterday evening and in the amendment to the motion is that rural schools are in some way better off –the amendment uses the phrases “more favourable capitation and other grant payments”. Yes they receive more favourable payments but that is a direct acknowledgement of the very specific challenges they face that larger, urban schools don’t.

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The government amendment ignores the fact that teachers in these schools face challenges not faced in larger schools.

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It ignores the fact that they must address not just mixed abilities but also mixed ages.

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It ignores the fact that they must all take a bigger leadership role because of the smaller staff numbers and the smaller and more dispersed communities in which they are based

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It ignores the fact they have core costs which are there irrespective of the level of enrolment.

In fact this entire cut is based on an ignorance of the educational value of the economic and social value and the community importance of schools.

In the Seanad last night Minister you commented that you did not see your function “as one of visiting schools, except where doing so is necessary or appropriate”. Can I suggest that before you proceed with this cut that it is necessary and it is appropriate that you actually visit some of the schools that will be affected. By actually visiting them you will see the educational value and you will witness that the opportunities given by our smaller schools punch far above what you might expect to find.

For instance you could visit Glenmore NS in County Mayo, a small school based just outside of Crossmolina in Ballina. This school driven by a wonderful principal and a very vibrant parents association has made major advances in recent years. It has recently updated its technology which has enabled them to take on the eTwinning project. eTwinning is the community for schools in Europe who reward excellence in the best use of technology in education. Glenmore N.S. has joined up with schools from every European country and will represent Ireland. That kind of initiative and opportunity is replicated in schools across this island-exactly the kind of initiative we need in the wider economy-the kind of initiative and opportunity that will be snuffed out if this cut proceeds.

Minister, last night, you liberally quoted Shakespeare in your remarks. Can I respectfully point you to another author, one who’d be a better judge of small rural schools then Mr Shakespeare.

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Deputy Calleary said: “This is happening on Minister Shatter’s watch, but despite repeated warnings from me and others over the past number of months he has failed to act. Instead, the Minister has allowed gaping holes to appear at the most senior and specialised level in An Garda Síochána since he has taken up office.

“The number of officers involved in the Anglo Investigation alone have more than halved in a year. Only 11 gardaí and 8 members of the Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) are now involved in the Anglo investigation, compared to 27 gardaí and 16 ODCE officers in 2010. The Minister knew months ago that the two most senior gardaí in the Anglo investigation were retiring before Christmas. In December, I appealed to him to fill these empty positions but I understand that he has still not sought Cabinet approval to do so. This is simply not good enough.

“We cannot have a situation where more than half of the Assistant Commissioner posts are now left vacant. We are losing some of the most experienced and high-ranking members of the force and allowing large gaps emerge in specialised units. In the public interest, I am calling for an urgent statement from the Justice Minister about how and when these posts will be filled.”

“I have been inundated with calls from people from across Co Mayo who are extremely worried about the ongoing delays in issuing and renewing medical cards,” said Deputy Calleary.

“I spoke to one gentleman who has suffered a leg amputation and has diabetes. His application for a medical card was submitted in August. He and his family, along my office, have sent more than 20 letters and emails to the Client Registration Office to ask what stage his application is at. On at least 5 occasions, his family have provided the additional information requested by the office to track the application. Despite all of this, there is no sign of his medical card and he has no idea how long he will have to wait.

“The family of another man who is waiting to have his medical card renewed have also contacted me. He has had a stroke and needs constant medical care. The application to renew his card was first submitted in September. Despite over 15 emails and letters to the office, he cannot get any information on when his application will be processed and a card issued.

“The fact that these people don’t know when or if their medical cards will be renewed is totally unacceptable. In the meantime, those with chronic illnesses are left unable to pay their medical bills after the HSE essentially pulled the rug from under them.

“There is a real fear now among health professionals and the public that this is part of an underhand exercise to cut costs.  There are growing concern that the delays are simply a money saving exercise and that the processing of applications is being deliberately dragged out.  

“This is a serious problem and it’s getting very little attention from the Government. Last year with great fanfare, the Minister for Health James Reilly announced that he was ‘taking control’ of the health service.  Where is his control on this issue? The maximum wait for a medical card application to be processed should be 15 days. At the moment it’s looking more like 15 weeks. This has already reached crisis point for thousands of patients around the country, many of whom are seriously ill and need regular medical attention.

“If there is a shortage of staff to process medical card applications, then under the Cork Park Agreement, staff should be redeployed to speed up the process. I am appealing to the Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton and Minister for Health James Reilly to intervene before the crisis escalates further.”

Fianna Fáil Justice Spokesperson Dara Calleary TD has expressed his concern at revelations that the number of gardaí involved in the Anglo investigation has more than halved in the last year.

Deputy Calleary was commenting after Judge Peter Kelly confirmed today that only 11 gardaí and 8 members of the Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) are now involved in investigating financial irregularities at Anglo Irish Bank. That’s compared to 27 gardaí and 16 ODCE officers in 2010, as reported by the Garda Commissioner at the time.

“It is deeply worrying that the Justice Minister Alan Shatter is allowing such gaping holes to emerge in the staffing of this critically important investigation,” said Deputy Calleary.

“This is the largest and most complex investigation of its kind ever undertaken in this State. There is massive and genuine demand among the public that the necessary resources are provided to ensure a robust and comprehensive approach to this case. The last Government made it a priority to ensure that this case was properly resourced and adequately staffed.

“Minister Shatter seemed to realise the need for this when he was in opposition, and was characteristically vocal on the subject. He now seems to have lost his voice or forgotten his urgency on the matter since taking up office and has allowed a situation to develop where the investigation is now operating on a relative shoe-string.

“Fine Gael’s hypocrisy since the election has been prolific, but this issue is a particularly frustrating example. In February, at the launch of Fine Gael’s Banking Strategy, Michael Noonan promised to ‘prioritise’ the Anglo investigation if elected 

“People are very upset that after two years of banking scandals nobody has been made amenable to the law … we want to make sure that people are made accountable and that it proceeds very quickly. Two years is a very long time…we want to see people answering in court”

– Michael Noonan, 04 February 2012.

Deputy Calleary concluded, “We now know that Fine Gael election promises are a devalued currency, but the public demand for action in this case is still as real as it was when Michael Noonan made his comment. FF in Government knew the importance of this and made sure the case was properly resourced. Fine Gael in Government continue to talk the talk but have presided over the halving of the investigation team! What has happened to the urgency?

“I am again appealing to Minister Shatter to ensure that specialist Garda units involved in fraud investigation and white collar crime are kept outside the recruitment embargo in An Garda Síochána. The officers that have recently retired from the Anglo investigation must be replaced urgently and the commitment shown to this investigation by the last Government must be restored.”

 Deputy Calleary has expressed his dismay at the revelation.

 “Minister Shatter has attempted to justify his plans to shut down a number of garda stations across the country? How did Minister Shatter decide which garda stations to shut down as part of his ‘cost savings’ exercise, if he doesn’t know how much each station costs to run?” said Deputy Calleary.

“While I appreciate the need to bring costs under control, Fianna Fáil has said all along that the savings from shutting down rural garda stations are minimal. Minister Shatter has now admitted that he is unable to contradict me on this. How can he justify closing a particular ga

That’s the view of Dara Calleary, T.D for Mayo.

Deputy Calleary said, “I am very concerned about the impact that cuts in the pupil/teacher ratio  in 2, 3 and 4 teacher schools will have on our smaller schools, particularly here in the West where 90 per cent of our primary schools fall into this category.”

“I have been actively highlighting the potential consequences of these cuts since Budget Day on December 6^th last and have participated in a number of Dáil debates and motions in relation to the matter.

“I have highlighted the fact that these cuts are a direct attack on rural Ireland. They show exactly who and what in society this Government values most and that’s certainly not the children of rural Ireland.

“Raising the pupil/teacher ratio in 2, 3 and 4 teacher schools does not make sense from a financial, educational or social perspective and the effects of these cuts will not be seen fully in rural Ireland for half a generation,” he warned.

“Retention figures are being based on last year’s enrolment figures. It is grossly unfair to apply a cut as severe as this retrospectively and will that a two-teacher schools must have 20 pupils on the role in September 2013 in order to keep their two teachers – an increase of six from the 2011 figure of 14; a three-teacher schools must have 56 pupils – up from 51 in 2011 and a four-teacher school must have 86 pupils – an increase of 5 from the 2011 figure of 81.

The Minister’s claim that this is a gradual increase in the pupil/teacher ratio is untrue. These changes represent a dramatic increase.”

“Fine Gael and Labour TDs have already had the opportunity to oppose these cuts in Private Members Motions in the Dáil and they chose not to do so – that is a fact.”

“However they will have further opportunities to stand behind the people of rural Ireland when further motions go before the Dáil in the weeks ahead. Similarly County Councillors from the Government parties will have an opportunity to support motions calling upon the Minister to reverse these cuts,” he said.

“I have written to every primary school principal in Mayo asking them to contact me with the specific effect of these changes for their school and I am appealing to concerned parents and teachers to apply the necessary pressure on the backbench Government TDs and the Government Councillors throughout the West to ensure that we protect the future of our rural schools, rural communities and most importantly the future of our children who are the foundation of the future,” concluded Deputy Calleary.

“I believe that this decision will not only lead to the end of the Guidance Counselling profession but its effect will be felt most by vulnerable and disadvantaged students particularly in rural constituencies such as Mayo,” said Deputy Calleary.

“This decision is an effective increase in the pupil/teacher ratio despite the Government trying to give the impression there was no increase.”

“Next year second-level schools will be faced with the choice to either let go of up to 1,000 Guidance Counsellors in 700 schools or let go of other teachers, maybe in the Science or Language disciplines, leading to reduced subject choice.”

“We may have bigger classes but likely casualties will also be foundation classes at Leaving Cert in subjects like Maths and Irish and again the weakest students will suffer.”

“Schools must now decide whether to deliver a Guidance service or maintain subject provision and current class size. Guidance Counsellors leaving the system before the next school year will not be replaced, this will have very serious consequences for the number of Guidance Counsellors in the school system within the next few years.”

“Guidance Counsellors have an enormous input and role in Educational Guidance; for example in the area of subject choice, transition year work experience choice, college applications, personal references and individual advice on further education.”

“A large proportion of students from the west of Ireland in particular apply for college courses in the United Kingdom through the UCAS system for courses such as pharmacy, medicine, physiotherapy – without the expert assistance of Guidance Counsellors, these applications will suffer severely – in fact the onus

Minister Quinn confirmed the news in the Dáil last week saying that ‘financial constraints imposed by the need to prioritise funding for the provision of school accommodation, it is not possible to advance with a Summer Works programme this year.’

 “This is yet another kick in the guts for small rural schools and communities,” said Deputy Calleary. “The Summer Works Scheme has been a fantastic resource for the smaller school community and has been used to carry out essential repairs and for upgrading of facilities such as mechanical, electrical and structural improvements.

“Since 2004 a total of 3,000 schools across the country have benefitted from this scheme dramatically improving structural, mechanical, electrical, gas and other works in schools right across the country.

“These works have traditionally been carried out in schools over the summer months, when the pupils are on holidays, so the disruption to schooling has been kept to a minimum. The investment in our schools has also created much-needed jobs in the construction sector and that will also be sorely missed particularly in rural Ireland.

“The fact that the scheme is mot proceeding in 2012 is a bitter blow to small local schools,” he said.

Fianna Fáil Justice Spokesperson Dara Calleary said, “Minister Shatter’s fascination with spin over substance has again tripped up his Government. His eagerness for publicity on the Personal Insolvency Bill today led him to make promises that his Government will not keep. He had to be publically contradicted by his senior colleague Michael Noonan at a press conference this afternoon.

“We understand that it takes time to finalise complex legislation, and Fianna Fáil has repeatedly called for comprehensive approach to tackling personal debt and reforming insolvency laws. It is unfair for Minister Shatter to promise people who are deep in debt that legislation to address their problems will be published in a matter of days, when the truth is it will be months.

“Maybe Minister Shatter will think twice before engaging in media solo runs,” said Deputy Calleary.

That’s the view Dara Calleary T.D. who has stoutly defended the services provided by the hospital.

“In all my dealings with the Sacred Heart Hospital, in both a personal and professional capacity, I have experienced only very positive outcomes.  It is important to note that a second inspection has taken place since this report was published and I look forward to seeing the results of that in the coming weeks.

“The HSE has indicated that problems identified in the report are being addressed and as of last month many of the matters have been dealt with. My fear is that the Government may attempt to use this report as an excuse to do