Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to clarify that there was never, at any stage, a question of a 40% cut in PPE. The PPE provision for schools is to be provided in three tranches. The first tranche was from last September to Christmas and the second tranche began in January. Obviously, there were additional costs in September for particular provisions that had to be purchased, be it hand sanitiser or extra equipment in schools ranging from something as small as additional bins to whatever might be needed, so additional funding was made available there. Those start-up costs were not necessary in the second tranche starting in January and that is the reason there was a reduction in funding. Point for point, however, the funding is the same. There was never a question of a 40% reduction. It was just an acknowledgement that the start-up costs, as it were, incurred in September would not be incurred in January in the second term. All the moneys that need to be provided for PPE are most certainly currently being provided and will be provided as part of the third tranche also.