Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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I will continue on the Ukrainian point linked to the one the Chair was discussing. I brought it up in the joint committee earlier that Ms O'Neill was present at. It relates to schools like those mentioned by the Cathaoirleach. I have examples of a couple of schools. I am not naming them. A lot of the school body is now either Ukrainian students or students coming out of IPAS housing. In those cases, the demands on the school - the additional language needs and financial demands - are increasing. I have spoken with two schools in particular where, in a lot of cases, the local families in that town or village are opting for another local school where they feel there are fewer demands. We are seeing that the rural school outside a town has numbers increasing and the local school in the town does not have as many local families going to it anymore. There is one in particular. It links to the point about grants to schools and additional language supports. It is worrying. This a policy point I will make to the Minister of State and his officials while they are here. It is about schools that are seeing increased demands in terms of financial needs while at the same time the socioeconomic status of the families in the school is lower than it was, so there is less ability to fundraise or provide funding from families. There are some I worry about that could end up in a spiral as well, so we should get those supports. It links into the point the Chair was making about student numbers and if families were to leave. It is a policy point that has come to my attention. If I have individual schools, I will come to the Minister of State and his officials on it. I do not necessarily have a question.