Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Of that €81 million, the amount of temporary funding is three times as much as the permanent funding. It is no secret and will come as no surprise to anybody that schools as much as households are struggling with their energy and electricity bills. Schools are telling me that where they may want to end the practice of being reliant on fund-raising and voluntary contributions, and the vast majority of them do, that budget 2024 does not put them in a position where they will be able to do that. They will still struggle to pay the heating, lighting and water bills.

We must remember that the underfunding of schools does not just have financial implications. It has socioeconomic implications too because in communities where parents are least able to put in those voluntary contributions, those schools will end up in a very difficult decision-making position, which no school wants to be in, as to what they can and cannot provide to their students. It effectively comes down to what the parents in that area are able to pay. There is enormous pressure on parents, which the Minister has acknowledged, to pay these contributions.

We have spoken about this before.

See this speech in context