Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I would like the Minister to respond to those two important questions, about music and mock exams, after my contribution. There needs to be clarity there.

On the issue of safety, what has the Minister done specifically to avoid a situation such as that in Claremorris Boys' National School before Christmas? She talked about autonomy. If a board of management, a principal and parents all agree it is not safe for children to attend a school because there are increasing numbers within the community, how does the Minister execute her duty of care? The concerns I have relate to the interface between the Department and the Minister, who is responsible for that Department, and the public health advice so that schools will not be caught in the middle.

When the Minister of State promised she would prioritise children with additional educational needs, she did not say "except for children with additional educational needs who attend a mainstream school". I can assure her that many parents to whom I have spoken share this view. Many students with additional needs in mainstream schools are struggling with remote learning, which is having a negative impact. Parents have put to me the risks posed by the supplementary support scheme. Given that tutors call to different homes, the risks are greater than they would be in a protected setting. Will the Minister of State revisit that decision and allow flexibility in schools to provide education when it is safe to do so? How much specifically will be invested in the supplementary support scheme for the enhanced summer programme and what will it look like? Parents need to know. Children with additional educational needs have been left behind.

I will allow the Minister time to answer those questions but I want to conclude with an issue I have raised with her many times, namely, the ancillary grant. It has not been sorted out, so there are still cases in schools where cleaners and secretaries are not being paid what they need to be paid or where their hours have been cut back, which is not right in the middle of a pandemic.

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