Paul Murphy: Schools run on charity amid principals' horror stories
Paul Murphy addressed the chamber on 26 June 2024 about chronic underfunding in primary schools and criticised the Government for allowing a motion to pass without intending to implement its demands. He said schools are operating as "mini-NGOs" dependent on parental fundraising and called for dramatic reductions in pupil-teacher ratios and increased investment to OECD averages.
Funding shortfalls in primary schools
Paul Murphy set out that primary schools have been run "on a shoestring for decades" and that Department of Education capitation and ancillary grants are insufficient. He criticised the Government for not amending the motion and argued that the current funding model forces principals to repeatedly ask parents for voluntary contributions to keep schools functioning.
Principals' accounts of daily strain
He relayed multiple accounts from local principals, including shortages of SET teachers, empty full-time posts filled only part-time, and an inability to cover substitute teacher costs. A principal at Rathcool Educate Together National School reported extensive fundraising just to buy sensory equipment, cover heating and electricity, and rent halls for PE in temporary accommodation.
Impact on special needs provision and staff
Murphy highlighted the effect on children with additional needs and staff workload, noting schools lacking allocated SNAs, cleaners and secretaries despite student needs. He quoted principals complaining about low pay for assistant principal roles and the stress on staff expected to cover caretaking and maintenance tasks through goodwill and parental help.
Shared buildings and inadequate facilities
He described cases where two schools, Riverview Educate Together National School and Sudanta Special School, have shared space since 2020, with pupils taught in corridors, offices and toilets and one child seeing an art therapist in a cupboard. Many pupils have had no access to a school hall or indoor PE because halls are being used as classrooms.
Surplus and political critique
Murphy concluded by arguing the crisis is unnecessary given a reported 65 billion euro surplus, saying those funds could resolve school needs and address the housing problems that contribute to teacher shortages. He accused the Government of knowing about the failings but choosing to continue current funding practices.
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Thanks, Chair. I welcome this motion here today. I note that the Government does not have an amendment to it, which means that they are going to allow this motion to pass with no intention of actually implementing its demands in terms of dramatic reductions in pupil-teacher ratio investment according to OECD averages and so on. It makes a bit of a farce of this place, to be honest. Our primary schools have been run on a shoestring for decades. It is simply not possible to run a school on the stingy capitation and ancillary grants that are doled out by the Department of Education, and the Government knows this, but it intends to continue along those lines. The Government knows that school principals are having to endlessly badger parents to fundraise to keep schools running. The Government knows that underfunding schools forces them to operate as mini-NGOs dependent on charity. The Government knows that this places schools in working-class areas and children with additional needs at particular disadvantage, but it does not seem to care. I was in touch with lots of principals in my area to ask what this looks like on the ground, and I got a whole series of horror stories back from people. Here is what one principal of Rathcool Educate Together National School says. We have to ask parents every year for voluntary contribution just to stay open. Electricity and heating are skyrocketing with no extra funds to help. Our parents' group are killing themselves fundraising so we can buy sensory toys and yard equipment. We need sensory room in the mainstream, but these are not standard, so we have to fundraise for this. Over €10,000. As we are in temporary accommodation with no hall for four years, we looked at renting a hall for PE, especially in winter, but there are no funds to cover it. I had a full SET position empty most of the year due to the teacher crisis. What are they doing about it? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. They need to find staff, extra AP posts and pay them properly. No one wants an assistant principal 2 role, as it is ridiculously low. I am getting paid for eight teachers, but not the 11 SNAs, the cleaner, the secretary. I have a team of 21, not eight, and that does not even include the bus escorts. I could go on in terms of what that principal says. Another principal says, this year we only had a part-time SET teacher when we were entitled to a full position, as we could not find someone for the position. We were often left without substitute cover due to a shortage of subs. Our secretary recently switched to being paid by the department, and the remaining money they sent in our schools and scenery grant was €400, which is to cover two thirds of the school year for maintenance costs. That is not enough to pay a caretaker for one month, never mind two thirds of the year. We have to rely on the goodwill of staff and parents for basic needs, like cutting the grass and maintaining the school property. It is extremely stressful on the principal, and an unfair ask of staff and students forced to go above and beyond. There is another issue in my constituency where two schools, Riverview Educate Together National School and Sudanta Special School, have been forced to share space since 2020, because the department has failed to provide the new school buildings that were promised. As a result, parents in Riverview tell me that children are being taught and cared for in toilets, offices and corridors, particularly impacting children requiring movement and sensory breaks who are relegated to hallways and toilets. One child, incredibly, sees an art therapist weekly in a cupboard in 2024. For many years students have had no access to a school hall or indoor PE as the hall is being used as a classroom. The frustrating thing about all of these horrific stories is that it is completely unnecessary. The government has a 65 billion euro surplus, it could fund everything that schools need tomorrow, and it could resolve the housing crisis that is such a big driver of teacher shortages. fear shortages.
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