I am mindful as we are here this morning that this is the first time for education questions since the horrific attack on the students and the care provider in Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire, on Parnell Square, last week. I place on the record not only my fear as a parent and my revulsion as a public representative but also my hope and my wishes that each and every single one of those affected makes a full recovery. It is important we also take time to commend those who intervened to assist our youngest learners and th…

It is about ten years since this cap came in. One of the concerns I have is a report that states that four times as many places are being offered by just one private college and that more than one in three new primary teachers have come from the private market. I understand there can be strategic reasons for limiting the number of teachers trained. However, simply allowing the private sector to take over the training of primary teachers does not serve the public's best interest. In fact, it adds to barriers to thos…

I will go back to the balance between public and private providers. We often say that people cannot be what they cannot see. This is particularly the case in the teaching profession. We need to see diversity in our teaching staff. We need to see teachers who adequately reflect their own learners. Where training provision is moving towards being private only or a disproportionate amount of private provision, it creates socioeconomic barriers. Essentially, we are telling people that unless they have cash in the bank,…

My question relates to school funding and when the minor works scheme payment will be made to schools for the current year.

I understand the change in the payment date happened in the 2019-20 school year, when the country was in the grip of a pandemic. Without a shadow of a doubt, the minor works grant is second only to teacher shortages in terms of the education queries that come across my desk. The issue causes significant challenges for schools, in particular the payment date. The Minister has said it is paid in April. However, schools have told me that trying to get a tradesperson to carry out work in April is a real challenge becau…

Despite that, we continue to have one of the lowest levels of investment in education in the OECD. I raised correspondence yesterday at a debate on the Estimates, and while I had not intended to raise it again today, it needs to be addressed. I am not going to mention the school because I do not think that would be fair on it, but I am going to read out part of the email. I ask the Minister to revert to the House with an update on how many schools are in this position. It states that in the current climate with the…

I acknowledged it was unspent grant money.

We must refer Israel to the ICC. Its actions have horrified those of us across Europe and the wider world who are graced with the protection of distance from these attacks. The deliberate targeting and killing of thousands of civilians, with the targeting and destroying of civilian infrastructure, hospitals and schools and the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians, is beyond comprehension at this point. This afternoon it was reported not only that hospitals are struggling to maintain desperately needed life …

Could the Minister outline the level of additional core funding for new developments, excluding funding for carry-over and the maintenance of existing service levels, that has been allocated for the national maternity strategy for 2024? This strategy is essential to improve healthcare for women, from preconception, pregnancy and birth to postnatal and neonatal care, across acute, primary and community services. The strategy needs year-on-year funding to bring about the new developments, improve the care for women a…

I did not hear the Minister mention one number - either a financial number or numbers for the year 2024 to which my question related. He has not provided new funding for maternity services in budget 2024. We all know that these strategies need additional year-on-year funding to develop to continually improve and expand on the services. If this strategy does not get new funding, it calls into question a range of measures from upgrading hospitals to relocating services to the community and developing an integrated mu…

When the Minister says that it is not funded to the same level, I take that to mean none. Zero additional funding will be put into breastfeeding supports. I have concerns about the other care services for women, an issue he touched on in his response, and that is gynaecological services. The budget identifies no new funding for these and the funding to meet the waiting list action plan seems to be far less than in previous years. I am also concerned that this lack of investment in the public services means that the…

The recent flooding experience in Cork and Waterford was absolutely horrendous and the impact will be felt for a long time to come. That displacement from home, that destruction of property, the loss of livelihood and the fear of what the future looks like takes an unimaginable toll on people. Those affected by the recurring nightmare of flooding along the River Shannon, those who farm from Athlone to Meelick, know only too well of that impact. They have experienced it repeatedly and they are living with the conseq…

Hearts were broken for the Israeli lives lost on 7 October, and the horrific loss has been roundly condemned. In Israel's siege of Gaza we are bearing witness to human catastrophe on an unimaginable scale. Last week, the Dáil became one of the first parliaments in the world to call for a ceasefire. It was an important international signal that other parliaments should follow. The world must demand that Israel ends the siege and the attacks on Gaza and the Palestinian people. The horrific events in the past few week…

Budget 2024 did nothing to relieve the sense of catastrophe that is growing in the health service, which is not only breaking the will of the staff, but it is also breaking the will of vulnerable people in need of medical care. Based on the countermotion the Government put forward, one thing is very clear. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will continue to throw out predictable lines, ignoring the tough decisions that management needs to make, ignoring the impact on staff and ignoring its role in this growing omnishambles.…

The scheme for the provision of up to 6 kW of photovoltaic, PV, panels for schools was announced as part of budget 2023. We are now approaching the end of 2023 and we are still none the wiser as to the details of this scheme. Can the Minister please update the House on same?

I thank the Minister for the update. It is becoming somewhat rare that everybody in the House agrees on something when it is a good idea. I think everybody in this House agrees that PV solar panels on schools are an exceptionally good idea, particularly given the level of increase that we have seen in electricity costs and the financial pressures that has placed on schools over the past 12 to 18 months. While preparatory work is important, one must question the inordinate time that it has taken to get to this point…

When the Minister refers to the utilisation of GIS, anything that can streamline projects that are of real benefit to our schools is always going to be welcomed, and I welcome that. Will she provide the House with more detail on how schools are being prioritised in that area? She mentioned the modern nature of new school builds. She is correct to do that. Any new build is more modern and will be more energy-efficient than something that has been in existence for 40 or 50 years, but the vast majority of schools thro…

Will the Minister provide a breakdown of the budget 2024 allocation of €7 million in additional capitation grants for schools and detail the analysis undertaken by her Department regarding the sufficiency of this amount?

Does the Minister acknowledge and understand the level of dismay with which this announcement was received by those who are charged with delivering education through our school system? The €60 million she referenced is not a permanent measure; it is a once-off measure. Relying on once-off measures of a precarious nature, and precarious funding, is categorically not what teachers' unions, teachers and principals asked for as part of budget 2024. One email sent to me by a principal last week stated that it is effecti…

Of that €81 million, the amount of temporary funding is three times as much as the permanent funding. It is no secret and will come as no surprise to anybody that schools as much as households are struggling with their energy and electricity bills. Schools are telling me that where they may want to end the practice of being reliant on fund-raising and voluntary contributions, and the vast majority of them do, that budget 2024 does not put them in a position where they will be able to do that. They will still strugg…