FF demands reversal of cuts for rural DEIS Schools - Troy

Posted by Robert Troy TD.

3rd May 2012.

Fianna Fáil has again demanded a full reversal of the cuts to rural disadvantaged schools and an explanation from the Education Minister about why rural schools were left out of a partial reversal on DEIS cuts this year.

Fianna Fáil TD Robert Troy has said, “The Education Minister Ruairí Quinn and his Labour Party colleagues have attempted to spin a yarn that they have reversed their mistake on cuts to DEIS schools this year. Yet 16 disadvantaged schools across rural Ireland will still lose a teaching post this September as a result of Minister Quinn’s cuts.

“The Principals of DEIS schools across rural Ireland have come together to explain to Minister Quinn just how damaging these cuts will be to their pupils and to their communities. Writing in today’s Irish Examiner, Principals from schools in Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Carlow, Wicklow and Kildare explained that the loss of these teachers ‘will add to the level of disadvantage that children in deprived rural communities already face’. They have described the cuts as ‘a retrograde step which may result in falling standards and a breakdown in the social cohesion within our communities.’

“Minister Quinn himself admitted that he made a mistake by singling out the most disadvantaged schools for severe cuts this year. However, he has still only partially reversed this mistake. While urban DEIS schools have retained some of their legacy posts, many of them are still losing a significant number of posts in September as a result of Minister Quinn’s decisions in Budget 2012. Meanwhile, rural DEIS schools have been left out of the review of the DEIS cuts altogether.

“It is incredibly unfair that children in deprived communities in rural Ireland are still being targeted by Minister Quinn in this way. It is also incredibly short-sighted at a time when we are trying to rebuild communities that have particularly high levels of unemployment. Fianna Fáil is again appealing to Minister Quinn to do the right thing and reverse his cuts to all rural and urban disadvantaged schools.”