Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Minister's commitment. Along with my colleagues on the joint committee, I will hold him to it because actions speak louder than words. The committee held a specific summer school on school costs in September. The impacts of diminished capitation grants are twofold.

First, principals are continually stretched beyond the beyond in order to make the most of the money they receive. This is complicated by the minor works grant being announced later each year. It appears that there will be no grant for 2018 and that it will instead come in 2019. That is a major stress on schools when they are trying to work out where everything goes. Second, the pressure placed on parents to cover the gap through voluntary contributions was emphasised at the summer school. We are burdening parents not just with the increasing costs of sending their children to school, with uniforms, books, etc., but also with trying to keep the schools afloat. That is not acceptable. Parents receive an annual letter from schools seeking voluntary contributions, but these are far from voluntary.

I need to see action soon. What our principals need now are fewer of the circulars like those to which Deputy Boyd Barrett referred and more investment in schools.

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