Norma Foley demands funding for extra 1,000 special needs assistants

Education Minister Norma Foley is holding out for funding for Deis schools and special education.

Education Minister Norma Foley has refused to sign off on her budget allocation as she battles for funding for at least another 1,000 special needs assistants (SNAs) and hundreds of special education teachers.

Ms Foley is the last minister to finalise her budget allocation for 2022. 

Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath has made it clear there will be no last-minute “splurge” because of a €7bn improvement in the budget deficit in the last 10 weeks. Mr McGrath said even with the fall in the deficit from €20bn to €13bn, the overall spending package to be announced tomorrow will not exceed the €4.7bn previously outlined.

He and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe are determined to “hold the line” on spending in light of the high national debt at present which is set to top €280bn this year.

Mr McGrath will today meet with Ms Foley who is holding out for the funding for Deis (disadvantaged) schools and special education.

“It will run into Monday, Norma is fighting hard for the 1,000 extra SNAs and more if she can get it,” said a senior source.

It has also been confirmed that Higher Education Minister Simon Harris has secured the first increase in the student grant in a decade. Sources say there will be a hike in the rate of Susi grants for third-level students, as well as a widening of the eligibility criteria.

The fuel allowance rates will be increased by at least €3.50 per week from the current rate of €28 to €31.50 and the number of people eligible to qualify for the payment is also set to increase from the 375,000 people who currently receive it.

Social welfare package

An overall social welfare package of €350m is to be revealed which will see €5 added to the State pension and all core welfare payments.

The Department of Health will see an increase in its funding of around €1bn, €200m of which will be used to address waiting lists.

Arts and Tourism Minister Catherine Martin has reportedly secured a €100m budget package aimed at boosting tourism which was decimated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The fund will primarily be used to fund and support businesses recovering as well as a major marketing drive for the overseas market to lure tourists back to Ireland.

Aiding music festivals such as the Galway Arts Festival, Tradfest, and Puca is also part of Ms Martin’s plan for the additional funding.

In housing, there are expected to be sizeable increases in funding for the housing assistance payment and the rent supplement schemes.

Mr Donohoe will also introduce a new tax to activate vacant lands for residential purposes, to replace the vacant site levy.

In tandem with the reforms to incentivise the bringing forward of supply, there is a need to balance this with penalties for non-activation of sites, he will say.

This forms part of the Government’s commitment to the ‘use it or lose it’ principle in planning.

Of the €500m to be spent on tax cuts, more than €400m will be spent on indexing the income tax bands and the USC.

Budget 2022 — what we know so far:

• Budget day package will not exceed €4.7bn;
• €5 increase to State pension and all core welfare benefits;
• Fuel allowance to increase by at least €3.50 a week to €31.50, and more people to get it;
• €100m to help childcare providers to retain staff, ease costs;
• Minimum wage to be increased from €10.20 to €10.50;
• Minister wants 1,000 extra SNAs and more special education teachers;
• €1bn in extra health spending of which €200m to tackle waiting lists;
• Student grant to increase for first time in 10 years;
• Increases in rent supplement and housing assistance payments;
• 50c on the price of 20 cigarettes;
• At least an extra 500 gardaí;
• €90m for aviation sector, €100m for tourism sector.