Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister for sharing time.

Fianna Fáil was elected to Government on a policy platform on education which included a commitment to double the capitation grant for primary schools over the Government's lifetime. I welcome this and will, with my colleagues, work to ensure this commitment is achieved by 2012, recognising the pressures and demands on our resources for education.

This debate, however, must be held in the context of the record spend on education and the general commitment of the Government to the education sector. There have been significant achievements to date in our education programme. In recent years, record resources have been allocated to education from primary to secondary level to third level and fourth level. Total spend on education this year will be over €9 billion.

Over €800 million in 2007, up by €180 million on 2006, was rightly allocated to special educational needs. Special education has undergone immense change in recent years and one in which major improvements are planned for the next five years. The State's record over the decades in providing for children with special educational needs was unsatisfactory. However, significant advances have been made in improving the lives of children with special needs. Approximately 17,000 adults in mainstream schools work solely with children with special needs.

I would welcome the enhanced rates of capitation funding paid in respect of children with special educational needs who attend special schools or special classes attached to mainstream schools. Over the next five years, there will be an emphasis on providing early assessment, expanding pre-school provision, giving each child the right to an individual education plan and ensuring better training for teachers. Improvements in services for children and young people will be built upon through better provision in the adult, further education and third level sectors.

There has been record investment in our schools building programme and extra resources allocated to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio. Every school in the Kildare North constituency has received investment with extensions or new schools being granted.

Improvements made in school staffing are unparalleled. As part of the additional resources for primary schools, the programme for Government contains a commitment to provide a further 4,000 primary teachers by 2012. With additional teachers already in place this year and those provided for in the budget, we are ahead of target with about 2,000 extra primary teachers to be delivered in just two years.

Within the terms of the current staffing arrangements for primary schools there is provision for additional posts, referred to as developing school posts, to be assigned to schools on the basis of projected enrolments for the next school year. This initiative was warmly welcomed by schools in County Kildare.

I agree wholeheartedly with increasing the capitation grant but the progress already made must be protected. If the capitation grant were to be doubled this year, other education services would have to be cut back. We have to make choices; we must prioritise our resources and make best use of the significant moneys allocated to education. During a period of slower economic growth, careful management of the public finances is necessary. Such a prudent approach is the best way of ensuring additional resources for our schools can be sustained.

We must reduce our reliance on fund-raising to provide for the essential running costs of a school. The Government has a plan to achieve this. Many parents and teachers have worked hard on fund-raising activities. They provide finance for many schools and assist in the provision of additional facilities the school may not otherwise have. In my experience, parents have done this work very willingly and with enthusiasm.

The main concern for parents in north Kildare is to ensure enough school places for their children. Despite the rapid rise in population in County Kildare, much progress on the roll-out of extensions and new schools has been made. Earlier this year the Minister for Education and Science confirmed that the 254 projects previously announced devolved schemes, that had not yet commenced construction, should position themselves to go on site in 2008 and complete their projects where possible before the end of the year. The Minister also indicated it was her intention to make a further announcement after Easter to allow a further batch of schools to commence construction and to update progress on the new schools planned for September 2008 delivery in developing areas. I welcome this commitment.

We are in tighter budget times and we must be prudent in how we manage our resources. We have a range of priorities including the capitation grant. The Government's programme is to plan the finance of our schools in a structured and sustainable way. Record resources are being spread in a balanced way to optimise their benefits and ensure no one is left out.

The doubling of the capitation grant essentially continues the policy momentum since 1997 of increasing day-to-day funding to primary schools at a rate well ahead of inflation. I commend the Government's record and, in particular, the Minister's.

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