Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

With the limited time I have, I want to flag that children and young people arriving here from Ukraine have had their whole lives uprooted. I acknowledge the huge work that has been done by schools to try to facilitate them by going to significant lengths. Is there a specific funding stream in place for schools and Ukrainian families for the purchase of uniforms and schoolbooks for Ukrainian students? Concerns have been raised with me that some schools are strictly enforcing uniform rules and book requirements for Ukrainian children. For example, one family had to pay for school uniforms for three children in secondary school, at €200 per child. This is for a school that they may not be attending after the summer if they are moved to more permanent accommodation in another area. Will the Minister encourage schools to show flexibility in these instances? Finally, are there pressure points at this time in relation to school places? If the Minister does not have time to respond, perhaps she will do so in writing.

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