I thank the Deputy for his question on this school. It is my objective as Minister for Education and Youth to progress as many projects as possible. At the moment there are about 300 between large-scale, additional accommodation and special education projects that are moving but a significant cohort will come down the line in years to come These projects are at either stage 2a or 2b, moving to tender and moving to construction. The funding that has been secured for the next NDP is €7.55 billion. What I am working on at the moment is setting out what the plans look like for the next year, two years and up to five years to ensure as many of those projects, including that in the Deputy’s constituency, can move forward as quickly as possible.
Sentiment score: 0.46
I am aware of the school and of the situation. The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan and I meet the NCSE weekly and obviously where issues arise, we want to work with it to make sure they can be addressed as quickly as possible. Where schools have been designated or places provided but they have not come onstream yet, we are working closely with the school and parents to make sure there is a provision of education being made for the children. The overall objective is that they are in the classroom in the school and that that is allocated to them. I will engage further with the Deputy and we will make sure we are continuing to engage with the school and parents.
Sentiment score: 0.31
I am aware of this case and the situation the school is in. The Deputy has outlined exactly the structure and system that has been in place for many years now setting out how schools can retain a teacher in a developing post. It is the case that this number needs to be reached and there is always a cut-off and a threshold. I appreciate that some schools will be just under it and some will be just over it but we do need to ensure that the system is upheld. If the school does not reach that specific number, the post is taken away from it. That is not to say that in the future, if the number of students increases again, it will not be looked at again when teacher allocations are being made. The system and structures that are in place have been there for some time. I appreciate that some schools will fall below the number but it is there for a reason, to make sure we can provide those allocations throughout the year and ensure it is done in the most fair way possible and applied in the same way for every single school.
Sentiment score: 0.23
The Tánaiste responded but I am happy to respond as well. I assure the Deputy that this is being dealt with at the highest level. I have met with Maurice Patton-O’Connell, Miriam Moriarty Owens, Mary Donovan and Mary Dunleavy Greene twice now in the last number of weeks. The Taoiseach has met with them twice. A mediator met with them earlier this week. In between all of that, I have written to them a number of times and at every step of the way encouraged them to please come off their hunger strike. My first and foremost priority is their health and well-being. It is not a nice time of the year. At the same time, I appreciate what they have gone through. I have listened to many of their stories and understand the position they are in. I am asking that they would come off hunger strike. We will continue to engage with them in good faith. The work the mediator is doing now is based on engagement they had yesterday and we want to be able to come back to them as quickly as possible. However, there is an absolute desire on part of Government to try to resolve this as quickly as possible but above all that their health and well-being would be front and centre in all of this.
Sentiment score: 0.22