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

I understand that the Minister is not in a position today to give a commitment on the matter. However, I draw her attention to the record of her Government in respect of payment of the grant. Of the three budgets the Government has introduced, the minor works grant was paid in only one, last year's budget. The Minister outlined the rates. This has left a huge hole in the budget of every primary school in the country. The burden has fallen back on cash-strapped families. Let us consider this with the fact the summer works scheme was not paid for two of the past three years and that each of these three years saw reductions in capitation allocations to schools. Let us consider also the actions of the Minister's Cabinet colleague and now party leader, the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, in halving the back-to-school payment for secondary school students and cutting by one third the back-to-school payment for primary school students. All in all, the Government has taken in excess of €100 million per year from supports to schools and families of schoolchildren. This funding must be raised by families who are among the most hard-pressed in the country in recent years. This is an unacceptable increase for families in the cost of sending children to school. I emphasise the importance of trying to relieve that pressure and the need to change the approach by delivering a decision in the budget next week which will see that payment given to every school in the coming year.

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