Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for outlining the work that has been done and continues to be done by the Government. I thank my colleague, Senator Fiona O’Loughlin, for tabling this motion on school placements. I note that some Senators talked about students going into schools that are already overcrowded, but I think their preference is to go to the schools where their friends are and are in their neighbourhood rather than go farther way, which would have a detrimental effect on them. As the Minister outlined, we have spent much more money not only on the teachers and teacher places, which we need to do because of the growing population, but also on the allocation of special needs assistants into those schools. There is merit in the idea of having a central system where we have a better understanding of how many students are applying in a given area and then trying to work as best we can to get them available places. As was pointed out, it has been done in some areas. It will not work for everybody.

There is much stress and anxiety. That children and babies are being put on lists for various schools in the anticipation of them going into the primary or secondary schools years away is causing stress and anxiety for parents. The system is improving all the time but it needs to improve more. While allocation of money will do a lot to rectify the issues that have been outlined, having better systems will assist parents and give clarity to everybody with regard not only to the students going to primary and secondary school but also to the management of the schools for boards of management, which have much to deal with. This year, every issue is now landing on the doors of schools, including drugs and online abuse. Being principal of a school used to be about education and now they are managing a myriad of societal problems. Anything we can do as outlined in this proposal by my colleague, Senator Fiona O’Loughlin, is of great assistance and merit.