Galway Bay fm newsroom - An Oireachtas committee has launched a report on off-shore island schools and the challenges they face in places such as the Aran Islands.
Last summer a deputation from the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Irish language travelled to Inis Mór.
Following on from this, the Galway-Roscommon Education and Training Board was invited to attend a hearing of the Education and Skills Committee at Leinster House just before Christmas.
As a result of this consultation a report with 8 recommendations has been launched by the Joint Committee on Education and Skills today.
One recommendation is that the island allowance be reinstated for teachers in island schools as an incentive for accessing and retaining staff.
It's also proposed to increase the budget to island post-primary schools by 20 thousand euro annually.
The report also recommends that independent status be granted to Coláiste Naomh Eoin, Inis Meáin and that DEIS status be awarded to the five-post primary schools on Ireland's islands.
Another recommendation is that the formula for teacher allocation be changed and increased to reflect the needs of off-shore island schools.
In a statement to Galway Bay fm News, the GRETB says it trusts that the Minister for Education will act on the recommendations of the report for the future of island schools and communities.
