Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the fact that the Supplementary Estimate is not very big. One probable reason is the fact that there was always uncertainty around the number of teachers who might retire and uncertainty in the special needs area. There is a small increase in SNA salaries. Can the Minister explain where that is coming from?

We have a figure of €19.9 million for additional expenditure on school transport, but there has only been a fairly small percentage increase in the cost of diesel. Why has expenditure increased to the extent that it has? Provision for children with special needs accounts for the majority of that. Can the Minister give us those figures?

I also wanted to ask about the medical consultants who are academics. Is it normal for the Department of Education and Skills to fund that even though the agreement is primarily around health? These consultants operate in hospitals and health settings as well as in academic circles. Can the Minister provide an explanation of that?

Finally, it may be slightly off topic, but I wish to refer to the figures for appropriations-in-aid under subhead D.

It concerns receipts in respect of the European Social Fund. The figure is €39.5 million, less a shortfall. That is fairly standard. The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund is also administered through the Department of Education and Skills. I am aware that a factory called Molex in Shannon, County Clare, closed with the loss of 500 jobs. Consideration is being given to applying to the fund. This was done for a number of companies in the past, including Dell and Waterford Glass, I believe. It could be argues there was a globalisation element to the reason the jobs were lost. I submitted a parliamentary question to the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation and she indicated that applying to the fund would have to be done through the Department of Education and Skills. The Minister might not have the answer today but I am interested in knowing whether, if the funding is applied for, as I hope will be the case, how it will be accounted for. Is it under the same type of heading? I am aware that it is a different fund but it is a European fund. That is slightly off the subject of the Estimates but if the Minister has any information, it would be welcome. That is all I wanted to ask.