Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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517. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if budget 2022 will result in an increase in the number of education welfare officers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52586/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My aim for Budget 2022 is to continue to deliver on the commitments set out in the Programme for Government, to meet demographic and other pressures in the school sector and to support and sustain our schools, their staff and our students in the face of the ongoing significant challenges posed by COVID-19.

Over recent budgets, additional resources have been made available to our schools, including through the delivery of thousands of extra teaching and Special Needs Assistant posts, increased capitation in schools, enhanced supports for school leadership and an improved staffing schedule in primary schools. This is in addition to the significant COVID-19 financial resources provided to allow schools to operate in accordance with the latest public health guidance.

A summary of the Department of Education's funding allocation for 2022 is set out in Chapter 5 (pages 71 to 74) of the 2022 Expenditure Report that was published on 12 October 2021 as part of 2022 Budget day documentation. This sets out the main areas identified for funding in 2022. The full details on the 2022 allocations for each Departmental Vote will be set out, as usual, in the Revised Estimates Volume (REV) which is due to be published in December 2021.