Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for giving me some time. I commend the Minister, Deputy Foley, on her initiative and empathy this evening. Throughout her tenure, no other Minister has been more in tune with the challenges facing our families nationwide. Sinn Féin does not have a monopoly on change.

The Minister earlier this year unveiled one of the most expansive reviews ever and a rethinking of the DEIS model as we seek to tackle disadvantage in our education. She did not need to be prompted to remove school transport costs and secure an increase in the back-to-school allowance. This Minister will not be found wanting when it comes to delivering further measures and continually tackling the inequality that has evolved in our education system over several decades.

We saw €67 million in costs taken out of education this evening. Rest assured, in the fullness of time the Minister will tackle the vexed issues of school uniform costs, schoolbook costs and the euphemistic term, "voluntary contributions". Today's announcement is not an end result but it is very important step. I think every everybody in the House agrees we still need to reach out to the squeezed middle, those who face a tsunami of costs over the coming months. We need to continue to push for change in that regard.

Today's announcement is a very progressive move in the direction of change, however. I know the Minister will continually push for the elimination of disadvantage in our schools, be that in the area of schoolbooks, school uniforms or those magicked-up costs. Despite the scourge of Covid-19, I do not think any other Minister for Education has managed the scale and breadth of change and radical improvements in education this Minister has managed in just two short years. I thank the Minister of State for giving me leave to speak.

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