Millions for horses but race nights for schools
Next day he published spending plans which will see grants for secretaries and caretakers in schools cut by 10% and the educational welfare board allocated just €1.5m extra to tackle the mounting problem of early school-leaving.
How are schools supposed to pay secretaries and caretakers?
Earlier this year the joint managerial body mounted a campaign to highlight funding inequities in the running of secondary schools.
Obviously this hasn’t had the same success enjoyed by others. At the start of 2004 the educational welfare board service was rolled out in Co Wexford. It now seems that plans to expand the service significantly will have to be shelved.
How can Fianna Fail TDs justify giving only €47m extra to tackle the national problem of disadvantage in education when more than €68m extra is given to greyhound and horse racing? The facts remain that spin is being used to hide more broken promises.
The sad realities are that while the equine industry is well funded by the taxpayer, we now have an education system relying on race nights to provide a basic service. Some socialist legacy from Comrade Ahern.
Joe Ryan
40 Cromwellsfort Drive
Wexford
