Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I too welcome the fact there will be a minor works grant and a summer works scheme this year. The fact the Minister discontinued it last year left a lot of schools in a very difficult situation. The CPSMA, which is the management body for 90% of primary schools, indicated that half of our primary schools are in debt. Fund-raising events are taking place left, right and centre in every parish in the country, whereby families who are the most hard-pressed section of society, and who are trying to put their children through school, are being asked to cough up to make up the deficit. Will the Minister give a commitment that the funding will be here to stay next year and that he will not discontinue it again after this once-off funding which he has indicated he is allocating?

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