Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----for children under 12 and €73 per week for children over 12, bringing it to €400 and €425 per week, respectively.

Further supports to that Department will provide €64 million for investment in disability services to deliver 90 more additional residential places; further development of respite services; 1,400 day places for school leavers; increased personal assistance hours; and rate increases for staff who are providing these home supports.

SUPPORTS FOR EDUCATION

Education, as we know so well, is vital for investing in our children and vital for supporting our future. That is why this budget will allocate €10.5 billion to the Department of Education in 2024, including a capital budget of €940 million. This will facilitate the continued roll-out of urgently needed school building projects, including the 300 already under way. A further 200 will commence construction over the course of 2024 and 2025.

This builds on the progress we have made in building a more inclusive education system and will provide for over 740 additional teachers to support those with special educational needs in special classes, in special schools and in mainstream settings. I am also providing for over 1,200 additional special needs assistants, SNAs, giving us the highest number of SNAs we have ever had in our education system. This will provide additional resources to special schools to support them in the vital work they do in supporting our most vulnerable students.

A Cheann Comhairle, reducing the cost of education is also a priority for this Government, which is why I am providing funding to extend the free schoolbooks scheme to all junior cycle pupils in recognised post-primary schools within the free education scheme from September next year. This will benefit over 200,000 pupils.

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