THE Government was defeated by one vote - 23 to 22 - in the Seanad last night on an Independent private members motion demanding urgent action on the lack of trained and qualified substitute teachers in Irish primary schools.
It is the third defeat for the Government in the current session of the Seanad and highlights the continuous knife edge pressure it is working under, with the balance of power being held by the five Independent senators.
Last night, three Independent members, Mr Joe O'Toole, Mr David Norris and Mr Feargal Quinn - two of whom are out of the State - were supported by Ms Cathy Honan (PD) and the Fianna Fail group. The new Northern member, Mr Sam McAughtry, voted with the Government parties.
Proposing the motion, Mr O'Toole, who is also general secretary of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, declared that the shortage of qualified substitute teachers in primary schools had now reached "crisis proportions". He called for a national panel of qualified teachers to be drawn up and made available to the principal of every school.
He said: "Schools have stark choices. Sometimes the class is divided up among the other classes in the school, resulting in disruption throughout. Sometimes the remedial teacher is drafted in to take over the class, resulting in the remediation services being unavailable. Sometimes the class is taken by an administrative principal, resulting in important work being neglected.
"Sometimes unqualified and untrained personnel are employed to supervise the classes, giving rise to the most serious questions regarding safety and education. Who would take responsibility if a child is abused in any way by an untrained person?"
The situation was a poor reflection on Irish primary education. It was unfair to pupils, teachers parents and school managements. Last year, the State had spent more than £3 million on salaries' for untrained and unqualified personnel. That money alone would go to meet one third of the needs of primary education. The Minister must now seize the opportunity of resolving the problem.
The danger of child abuse was among the concerns referred to by several speakers. Mr Norris, who seconded the motion, referred to an Australian man with a history of child abuse and involvement with pornographic material who had" managed to get into the Irish educational system some years ago.
He had been detected before he started teaching here and had disappeared, but Mr Norris said that the situation could arise again when schools were dealing with people who did not conform to the criteria which should apply to anyone in a position of power and control over children.
The Minister of State at the Department of Education, Mr Bernard Allen, who took the motion for the Minister, Ms Breathnach, outlined the constraints she was working under. These included the fact that there had been a significant increase in substitute teachers in the last three years, with some 950 having been employed in 1994-1995, covering for sick leave, maternity leave, secondments and study leave.
Mr O'Toole was applauded when the Cathaoirleach, Mr Liam Naughton, confirmed the vote.
The debate concluded, and the House adjourned until 2.30 p.m. next Wednesday.