Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The announcement yesterday was welcome. Seven eighths of it could have been announced in June. However, the funding amount of €375 million is welcome; there is no doubt about that. I have a number of questions. I raised this issue with the Tánaiste last Thursday. In the month remaining, principals and boards of management are expected to advertise, interview and recruit all the staff in four weeks. They are being asked to commission minor building works in four weeks, which is impossible because there are not enough people available to deliver to the work in such a short space of time. They are being asked to train their own teachers and staff in new procedures, secure PPE and deal with a whole range of other issues in a short space of time. How is that possible?

Specifically, what is happening with special needs assistants, SNAs? They are barely mentioned in 53 pages of the document. Is the Taoiseach aware of that?

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