Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I am pleased that the announcement was made. I ask that the payments be expedited so that they get into the bank accounts of the schools as quickly as possibly. Could it be considered for next year that the grant would be brought forward? Even if it was brought forward a month, everything would not be brought into the last couple of weeks when teachers are so busy with things like school plays, rounding off the school year with tests and everything else that needs to be done at this time. If the grant was made available a bit earlier, it would ease that pressure. I also think that the funding of national schools needs to be really examined in terms of the resources put in and the value we get back. It is expenditure that we will get back a hundred times over if we provide a proper education for our children and take the pressure off parents as well who find this a very expensive time of the year.