A Tipperary principal says energy bills are a major concern in primary schools this year.
Louise Tobin is the Principal of St. Joseph’s Primary School in Tipp Town in addition to her role as Deputy President of the Irish Primary Principals network and says their bills doubled in March and April this year.
She told Tipp Today that year to year they saw energy costs rise from around €500 to €1,000 and above.
She says the resource grant allocated to primary schools only allows for €1 per child per day, and must cover all bills as well as other equipment.
Louise feels the funding for primary schools in particular must be increased this year.
” The energy bills are taking a huge percentage of that already small grant, but look it will have to be looked at we have a set budget, we cannot exceed that budget, we don’t have access to over drat, it will have to be addressed, we will have to get a new grant for energy bills.”
Commenting on staffing issues Louise says they are continuing to struggle.
She told the station they recently advertised 5 jobs and only had 30 applications.
Given the school’s location relative to many of the teacher training courses and colleges she feels this was very surprising.
She told Tipp Today that these were attractive fixed term contracts and the low level of applicants indicates very few would therefore be willing to sub:
” We’ve a good catchment here… I think it’s a clear indicator if there are very few out there for a fixed term contract I would imagine there will be very few, less again for the day to day subbing needs of a school.”
