Imelda Goldsboro (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise a matter concerning the Department of Education in respect of an increase in funding applications to schools for the next National Psychological Education Service programme. This is not just a county-level issue but a national one to address the lack of funding for students who have disability issues, including mobility, visual impairment and hearing, just to name a few. Students can apply for this funding, but, unfortunately, schools are only allocated a limited amount of funding where necessary. There should be funding for the needs of all students and an increase in funding. Usually, it is one child per school. This is not good enough due to the significant increase in demands. It is causing added stress to parents because private psychological assessments cost €700 and upwards.

Great work is being done by the resource departments in schools but, unfortunately, it is the students who are suffering. Students are not being allowed to be educated in the manner in which they should be. They are coming to the end of primary school without having had an assessment. As we are all aware, the State examinations are coming up in two months, so some of these students will sit their leaving certificate or junior certificate and they will not have the necessary equipment they should be entitled to without any obstacles or barriers being in their way. Parents are very limited and constrained in what they can by their financial resources. They have other students and family members to look after as well. I am looking to see if there is the funding the Department needs to increase the funding allocations to the schools as a matter of priority. I also wish to highlight another issue. After the storms and bad weather we had in recent months, all our county councils have applied to the Department of Transport for extra funding for the damage done to the roads. We can see the fantastic weather throughout Ireland this week. In recent weeks, the works programme for roads has commenced throughout the country, especially in County Tipperary, ahead of schedule. If the Department releases the funding in the coming weeks, these works can be done while the weather is good. A number of roads in Tipperary need to take priority, including the N62 at Horse and Jockey.