Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As I have said, what I have here in front of me is a brief that was sent from the school to the Deputies in Donegal. I quote directly from this brief where it says: "In fact we were advised by Department representatives to contact our local Red Cross or St. Vincent de Paul." That is their testimony, so somebody has done that.

The report also shows that they have 52 additional children. Normally a school would get capitation rates per child. Covid cleaning comes from that along with minor works, free school books grants, ancillary services grants, once-off cost-of-living grants, standardised testing grants and digital strategy grants. That is the level of grants per capita. It is €30,000. If these children had been registered two weeks previously, the school would have had €30,000. It is not defensible. The school is telling me that there is nothing left in the accounts. The school has been wonderful. They have created a safe, educating and nurturing environment for these children and they are happy to do it. They believe that these children add to their school. They are more than happy to do it but they are being punished and impoverished for doing the right thing. That cannot stand. I have raised this through a parliamentary question with the Minister and today I am nearly begging that this would be resolved. The Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, is aware that there are people who have made a hell of a lot of money from this crisis, who have just turned around buildings and made accommodation available. They have made a lot of money and they are doing really well, thank you very much, in this crisis. We cannot have this happening and yet a school that has done right by our people and tries to support these children from refugee and asylum seeker families, including traumatised children, would be financially impoverished. This must be sorted out. Surely somebody in the Department can intervene and sort this out.

See this speech in context