TUI Deputy General Secretary Annette Dolan said: “The union will be seeking the removal of cuts which will only have severe implications on the futures of thousands of young people around the country.

These measures will have the worst impact on those families already struggling financially, as fundraising in disadvantaged communities to alleviate the deficits left by the Budget is simply not an option for many schools.

The education cuts will have the most negative impact on the most vulnerable students. The removal of grants for school retention programmes and the re-imposition of the ceiling on the number of English language teachers for minority ethnic students are totally unacceptable to the TUI.

We anticipate that the drop-out rate among second level students is set to rise sharply as a direct result of these cuts. There is a direct link between low academic attainment and poverty in later life, and we will be stressing this on Tuesday.

We believe the Department cannot stand over cuts that would have such catastrophic effects on the lives of young people.

Cuts to the Leaving Certificate Applied and Junior Cert Schools Programme are a direct attack on those most vulnerable students whose retention within the system for both the Junior and Leaving Certificate cycles is already an uphill struggle.
 
These vital programmes, along with capitation for Traveller students, have proven invaluable in retaining marginalised students. They promote and support retention through a variety of innovative learning experiences.
 
Based upon the reaction we are receiving from teachers and principals still reeling from the cuts, we estimate the cuts will directly result in a stark increase in the number of students not staying on to complete the Leaving Certificate cycle.”