Dáil debates

Wednesday, 28 September 2022

Financial Resolutions 2022 - Financial Resolution No. 6: General: Financial Resolution (Resumed)

 

7:35 pm

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Despite what we have been listening to across the way over the past number of hours, I am here to commend the work of all Ministers from the three parties on much of the work and investment that has been put in during recent months.

With regard to my area of education, the allocation of €50 million for free books for primary schools is encouraging. I have no doubt that in time, once this system is embedded, that will be rolled out at secondary level in a future budget. That is much to be welcomed. I have taught in classrooms where there have been more than 25 or 30 children and I have experienced how those overcrowded classrooms are one of the biggest barriers to effective teaching. It is great that for the third year running this Minister has reduced the pupil-teacher ratio. When she started, it was 26:1 and it is now down to 23:1. That is not to mention the introduction, between SNAs and special education teachers, of 2,180 new posts and both Ministers are to be commended on that. There is also a 10% increase in the overall special education budget, which accounts for a significant portion of the Department of Education's overall spend. Something that is much needed is the financial award of 54 posts for the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, which it is to be hoped will provide much-needed psychologists so that we can make further dents in those backlogs in assessments of need.

Something that I have been involved in during the past 12 months and that I am glad an allocation has been made for is the provision of 40 new Irish Sign Language posts. This will allow children who are deaf or hard of hearing to attend mainstream schools with the constitutional right they have to be facilitated by an Irish Sign Language interpreter who will accompany them into the class. The money is there for those posts and that is also welcome. I also have to acknowledge the progress that has been made on the school transport issue. This is an issue many Deputies have experienced in recent months and every summer in recent years. It was encouraging the Minister said that she thinks that under the current review we will finally move to a demand-led model. I welcome the provision of extra money to facilitate the 6,000 concessionary ticketholders.

I would also like to reference childcare as somebody with three young kids, all at preschool level. We have seen a significant intervention from the State for the second year running, which accounts for approximately €1 billion of an investment. That is bringing costs down for families and that is welcome. I am hearing reports that some families could benefit with up to €2,500 per annum off their childcare costs. I mention an issue that the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Rabbitte, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and I have worked on in recent months, and it was great that the Minister of State raised it earlier in her contribution. Some €900,000 has been allocated to Cork and Galway for the first time for a paediatric neurology service. Families will no longer have to travel from all corners of the country to the National Rehabilitation Hospital. They will now have the facility available to them in Cork and Galway to meet nurses and consultants. A sum of €1.7 million has also been allocated for the provision of neurological nurses. Filling those posts needs to be a matter of urgency.

The biggest criticism I am hearing from the Opposition benches is that this budget did not provide certainty. I find it laughable they say it did not provide certainty. It is giving people cash, including pensioners and carers. People with disabilities have also seen a significant increase in their incomes so it is not true to say the budget lacks certainty. The price cap that has been spoken about in Britain does not provide certainty. As we can see, they have already revisited their limits on that and what is happening across the water is not providing certainty whatsoever. This Government has provided certainty. It is putting money into people's pockets and into energy credits.

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