Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State is now blaming the members of the board of the ETB, who, I can tell him, were not aware of this decision until after it had been made at an executive level. It was made at an executive level because there is clearly a funding gap, and we know about the funding gap because tutors and students were initially told their courses would be delayed. They were later told they had been indefinitely postponed. That sounds very much like an ETB scrambling to secure funding. The Minister of State should confirm whether the Cavan and Monaghan ETB has made an application to the Department seeking additional funding to resolve this situation.

I again ask him what we are supposed to say to these tutors who, if they secure alternative employment, will be lost to this sector. What do we say to those students who are midway through completing courses? I am dealing with one student who has completed their level 5 special needs assistant, SNA, course and had intended to begin level 6 this year. Again, if they cannot do that, they will seek alternative employment, and the Minister of State and his colleagues will stand up in the Dáil and decry the shortage of special needs assistants in our schools.

Has an application for funding been made and is it being considered? If that is the case, why is the Minister of State shrugging his shoulders as though this has nothing to do with him?

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