Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Budgets are being managed so things have to be reduced because you have to pay staff. In the school completion programme, in order to fulfil all the things in a retention plan, something has to go. In the past, that has meant staff have gone on a reduced working year or have not taken increments. In a country so rich, it is not right. It also means services are not provided. For example, they run out of money for summer camps because they are at the end of the budget year cycle, which for the school completion programme goes to 31 August. They rely on SICAP funding or other funding to support them. In a statutory service working with very vulnerable children, that should not happen. Budgets should be sufficient so they can provide everything in a retention plan and there is the best quality in the school completion programme. I will write to the Minister with those examples. Overall it is probably fine but when you drill down to the specifics, it is not working as hoped.