Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Does the Minister believe the cut will result in a drop in the school completion rates? This measure may discourage some children, particularly those in secondary schools, returning to school or discourage their parents allowing their children return to school. The fact that the Minister is paying this allowance to more people is a reflection of the crisis we are in and our unemployment levels because it is a means tested payment and is not as easy to obtain as other payments.

The Minister might indicate where she got the information that school clothing costs have decreased. To my knowledge they have not dropped in the areas I represent when I shop for school clothing for my own children, and those are not the only costs associated with going to school. While this is a clothing and footwear scheme it often goes beyond that in subsidising books and bus fares.

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