Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The first matter the Deputy raised was on monetary guarantees. There is going to be a cost involved but I reassure the Deputy that discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform are ongoing and before there is any conclusion as to how school reopening will look in September, there will have to be financial commitments from that Department.

That will happen. I take the Deputy's point on the special needs issue. It has been difficult. The last three months have been difficult for people in different sectors, for people losing jobs and front-line workers and all the different pressure points. However, the area we are all thinking of is that of people with children with special educational needs. That is why I really wanted this programme to go ahead. I wanted to expand it and what a year to try to do it with all the unknowns, constraints and uncertainty. One thing is for sure and the Deputy will be hearing it in his own constituency in Limerick. The goodwill, enthusiasm and solidarity within the education community to make this happen is going to make it happen. Unfortunately there are going to be deficits such as school transport but I reassure the Deputy that parents will get a grant. The SUSI grant will be looked at in the context of new deliberations.

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