Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

Since then we introduced the ancillary services grant in 2001, which stands at €151.50 per pupil this year. In 2002 we introduced a further support for schools that meet the needs of special needs students. The ancillary funding, which supports the employment of secretarial and caretaking staff, and the grants for the special needs areas have had a dramatic impact on primary school education throughout the country on a day to day basis. A simple comparison will highlight the level of progress that has been made. In 1997, a good reference point to use——

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