Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Select Committee on Education and Skills
Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Revised)
Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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On science, technology, engineering and mathematics, STEM, grants, I recently visited a great school in my constituency, namely, Scoil Chaitríona on Baggot Street, which is a DEIS school. I spoke with the excellent principal there about many issues. One of the things she said was that the school missed out on a STEM grant while many schools in the more affluent areas of the constituency, where there are large voluntary contributions from parents, got grants. I accept that the Department had a difficult decision to make in this regard. Is there is something to be said for targeting grants, if they are limited - as they have to be - at the schools that are more in need of them?