Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Senator Bacik and I have been advocating for quite a while for a catch-up fund for children in the next school year. The Taoiseach will be aware of the scarring and damage experienced by young people and children, particularly disadvantaged children, in the past year or so owing to the lack of in-school tuition. The UK has provided a fund of £1 billion. The Government here has allocated approximately €40 million for a summer programme. Will the Taoiseach speak to the necessity for catch-up funding?

Will he also speak to the need for all schools to retain their current teaching posts? I am aware of a school in Ardfert outside Tralee that is losing a teacher. A number of other schools have contacted me with regard to losing teachers. Is it not time for a moratorium on schools losing teachers in order that we can repair the damage that has been done to children and young people over the course of the last year? That was not the Government's fault, of course, but we must invest to drive down class sizes and overcome and repair the substantial scarring and damage that occurred in the past year.

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