Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael ignoring Inner City Schools in Crisis

Labour’s Senator Marie Sherlock, General Election candidate in Dublin Central, has today slammed the outgoing Government’s failure to provide adequate funding and support to Rutland Street School, a large inner-city school facing a severe funding crisis. The school’s plea for help at the start of 2024 to cover essential costs like insurance and utility bills has been ignored.

Senator Sherlock said:

“Rutland Street School is in a very difficult financial situation with insurance alone eating up half of the capitation grant. The reality is that State funding for primary schools falls far short of what’s needed to keep them running. This school—hailed as a beacon for the inner city when it opened its new building—now faces the appalling struggle to keep the lights on and have no money left for cleaning, maintenance and other very basic operational costs because the Government refuses to recognise the challenges it faces.

“Government spin focuses on shiny new initiatives, but where is the support for schools like Rutland, which are struggling to meet even the most basic operational costs? It’s pure hypocrisy to talk about prioritising education while ignoring the urgent needs of schools trying to survive.”

The funding crisis at Rutland Street is compounded by the outdated funding model, which bases allocations on the number of students, not the size or operational demands of the school building. Senator Sherlock highlighted the additional burden this places on larger schools, especially those serving disadvantaged communities.

“Rutland’s running costs are higher because it has a large building. But the Department of Education has failed to acknowledge that more space means higher bills for heating and lighting. This isn’t just a one-off issue; it’s systemic. Other schools in disadvantaged areas face similar struggles—pleas for home school liaison officers ignored, schools unable to afford crayons and stationery for their pupils.

“Parents, teachers, and principals are doing their best, but they’re being failed by the out-going Government.”

Senator Sherlock reiterated Labour’s long-standing call for a DEIS Plus scheme to provide additional support for schools serving communities with the highest levels of disadvantage.

“For two years, school principals have pleaded with the Government to deliver more targeted funding under a DEIS Plus model. It is interesting to hear on the Irish Times podcast that Fianna Fáil leader Michael Martin is now in favour of a Deis Plus. Labour have been calling for this since 2023 and it has fallen on deaf ears. If the Government is serious about education, it must stop ignoring the crisis in inner-city schools and act now to ensure no school has to beg for the funds to pay their light bills.

“We need urgent action to reform school funding so that it meets the real-world needs of schools like Rutland. Labour stands with parents, teachers, and communities demanding better from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.”