Thomas Byrne, perhaps you could also ask Minister McHugh, what he is going to do with all the money his Department has saved in home tuition payments that will never be paid to the tutors, nor spent on additional hours sanctioned for the students involved in the unacceptable delays.
At a rough guestimate, based on previously given figures of 584 under 5's and a guess at 1,500 students over the age of 5 years, there has been a potential saving of over €4m to the Department over the past three weeks. These are very rough estimations but suffice to say the 'savings' have been considerable. Where can these students expect to see their unused tuition fees, reallocated to? Will they see more school places in special units of special education schools? Will the students' parents receive a once-off grant in order to purchase vital educational equipment which they cannot access outside of the school settings? Will Home Tutors receive a tax break for the loss of earnings due to the inefficiencies of the grants office in Athlone? Perhaps tutors will be given the opportunity to provide a reduced amount of cover during mid-terms and holidays in order to recoup some of their lost earnings?
Or will the Department just keep the money? Let it be reabsorbed into the black hole of the Children's Hospital Money Pit?
Please ask Minister McHugh, what he plans to do with all that money he has 'saved'.
Sinead C Kavanagh
Posted on 30 Sep 2019 4:59 pm
Thomas Byrne, perhaps you could also ask Minister McHugh, what he is going to do with all the money his Department has saved in home tuition payments that will never be paid to the tutors, nor spent on additional hours sanctioned for the students involved in the unacceptable delays.
At a rough guestimate, based on previously given figures of 584 under 5's and a guess at 1,500 students over the age of 5 years, there has been a potential saving of over €4m to the Department over the past three weeks. These are very rough estimations but suffice to say the 'savings' have been considerable. Where can these students expect to see their unused tuition fees, reallocated to? Will they see more school places in special units of special education schools? Will the students' parents receive a once-off grant in order to purchase vital educational equipment which they cannot access outside of the school settings? Will Home Tutors receive a tax break for the loss of earnings due to the inefficiencies of the grants office in Athlone? Perhaps tutors will be given the opportunity to provide a reduced amount of cover during mid-terms and holidays in order to recoup some of their lost earnings?
Or will the Department just keep the money? Let it be reabsorbed into the black hole of the Children's Hospital Money Pit?
Please ask Minister McHugh, what he plans to do with all that money he has 'saved'.