Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)

Thank you, Minister. I wrote to the 99 national schools in County Wexford and I discovered that many of them are not badly affected. I met representatives of Pavee Point earlier this week and they explained that money was being spent on Travellers under a number of headings that should not have been spent and value for money assessments needed to be carried out in these areas. There is a need in this area and it will not be looked after but, in the past, money was spent in areas where it was not needed. A school might have 30 Traveller kids one year but the following year it might only have had ten, yet it received the same funding both years. The Pavee Point representatives admit this issue could have been addressed better with less money.

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