Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Government's focus in recent years has been on operating a budgetary programme that is designed to return Government finances to a sustainable basis. I appreciate that the measures taken impacted on schools, including the reduction in capitation, and are not sustainable in the longer term. The multi-annual reduction in the funding for capitation and related grants involved a 2% reduction in 2012 and 2013 and a further 1% reduction in 2014 and 2015. I do not envisage any change to the 2015 element of the multi-annual savings measure but I regard capitation funding as one of the priority areas to be considered for improved funding as the public finances improve on foot of economic recovery.

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