Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Before I bring in Ms O'Connor and Ms Russell - I will come back to Deputies Catherine Martin and Thomas Martin thereafter - I would like to pick up on Mr. Mulconry's point that principals are spending too much time on raising funds and trying to get substitute teachers. A colleague of mine who works in a very busy primary school in a disadvantaged area that does not have DEIS status, and therefore has no home school liaison teacher, has told me she spends one third of her time dealing with social issues. Some of those present will be familiar with the school, Scoil na Naomh Uilig, which has an ASD unit. It is absolutely shocking. I do not know how principals do the job they are doing, to be honest, with everything that is coming onto their plate.