SF takes protest to minister's door

Members of Sinn Fein picketed the Navan offices of Transport Minister Noel Dempsey last Friday in protest against the severe cuts being introduced in schools around the county this week. According to Cllr Peadar Tóibín, some parents have been hit with bills up to €800 for books and school uniforms. "Many parents will not be able to pay these amounts and their children will go without school books this term. Indeed this week, we have seen teacher unions warning teachers that they will be teaching children without books. There is now a real fear schoolchildren from disadvantaged backgrounds may not attend school if they have no books and, as a result, will be lost to the education system," he said. At the picket, Cllr Peadar Tóibín said what made the cuts particularly nauseating was that they were targeting children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. He said Sinn Féin would be in contact with every school in the county in order to ascertain the depth of these cuts and to mobilise opposition. "We will hold a public meeting in the county to allow parents, teachers and students also have their say and fight for our children's future," he claimed. According to Cllr Tóibín: "FF and the Green Party have axed a raft of significant and important education services across schools in Meath. But they are not finished yet. If Fianna Fáil have their way and implement the McCarthy report, a further 3,400 teaching posts will be axed, small rural schools will be amalgamated, a further 2,000 special needs teachers will be axed, a further 1,000 language support teachers will be cut and the cost of school transport will be increased. "These cuts are not necessary. It is a simple matter of priorities. Do we bail out the banks or educate our children. We in Meath need to force the Government to reorder their priorities. To do that, parents, teachers and students must come together and vocalise their disgust."