Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. During the summer, I had the pleasure of visiting the training unit in Bantry. I met many of the students there and they spoke very eloquently about what the course meant to them. It helps their confidence and gives them self-belief. Many of them said that without the €31.80 they simply could not attend. The Minister of State points out that it is only new students who will not get the allowance. That is also very cruel. In any one classroom, there will be some people who get the allowance and some people who do not. Only this morning I heard the story of one lad who does not get the allowance going to the cinema with his friends from the course, all of whom do get the allowance. He did not have the price of admission but fair play to the other lads, they clubbed together to give him the money to get in. That is a result of the Minister of State's actions. It is cruel to cut the allowance and it is cruel that some get it while others do not.

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