Mattie McGrath criticises chronic underfunding of primary schools
Mattie McGrath challenged the government over chronic underspending in primary education and urged ministers to listen to principals. He cited OECD figures and a sector survey showing steep rises in energy and insurance costs and warned of pressure on school leadership.
Funding shortfall and OECD ranking
He said education spending is equivalent to 13% of GDP while the OECD average is 27%, leaving Ireland last out of 36 developed countries for spending on education per an OECD report. He told the minister that this "states enough" and pressed for action on chronic underspending.
Costs and financial pressures on schools
He referenced a survey by the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association conducted in April and May 24 that reported a 35% increase in energy costs over the past two years and a 98% rise in insurance costs. He described primary schools operating on a shoestring and said some have found themselves running deficits in the last two years.
Staffing and wellbeing of school leaders
He warned that the absence of deputy principals and assistant principals is increasing stress on principals, who face sleepless nights and uncertainty about future shortfalls. He said COVID-related requirements and evolving health-and-safety expectations have added pressure, with some measures necessary and others excessive.
Acknowledgements and call to the minister
He thanked visiting principals and the independent group for bringing the motion, complimenting them for setting out the stark realities. He urged the minister to listen to the people and respond to the crisis facing primary education.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
The Chief of Council in Clair The Chief of Council won t Manchester Mclopa, Bwana Magyaržen Add gda Obil ينockeyj Iwana Magde Mary you're here in the chamber with us great to see him here lattily in the chamber, I look proud to engage him with him in that role also As stated in the Motion chief in proper formalling there was chronic under spending and government expenditure for student primary schools I'd like to thank Clement whoillun mirhai and the other principals who visited and their team Put it bluntly to us how bad the situation is, and I compliment the independent group on bringing the motion forward today. This is equivalent to 13% of the GDP, while the organisation for the OECD average is 27%, more than double. That states enough, Minister, to listen to the people. This leaves Ireland last out of 36 developed countries for spending on education per OECD report. A survey conducted by the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association in April and May 24 revealed that schools have experienced a staggering increase in their energy costs of 35% over the past two years, simultaneous insurance costs have surged by 98% in the same period, and everything else as well. We know it in our own households, so the primary schools have been operating on a shoespring. I served on the board of management of our own school, national schools, so alarming at the very 10 primary schools have found themselves operating on a deficit in the last two years. That is shocking. And when is the government going to listen to them and understand? We had COVID and all the irregularity brought in there, and we have health and safety, and all those issues that are there now, that must be complied with, that weren't there, and some of them are very necessary, some of them are over the top. Insurance costs were told they would come down. In actual fact, it has gone up, and the whole situation of not having the Deputy Principal Assistant Principals. What is going to happen is, we are not going to have Principals of National Schools that can't cope with this stress and trauma of sleepless nights, wondering where the next shit is going to come from. This is the first one to think. That would be a sort. The majority are since they could say it's big, we could say it's very Dziękuję and thank you very much. Bill McK Communist,nicos Leader, Premier, самого Weekly, International Fantasy United, International Since 2008. So, what did you give a brief comment in the last sit-in?
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
