Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy knows, this issue has been raised in the House in the past few weeks, including by members of his party, and I explained at that stage that money was very tight but we were reviewing the capital position for the end of the year and I was endeavouring to find a solution. I am pleased to tell the House that I yesterday announced that €28.8 million minor works grant funding for primary schools throughout the country will be paid next week. The applicable rates are €5,500 per school plus €18.50 per mainstream pupil and €74 per special needs pupil attending the school. The grant allows schools to carry out minor works without needing to deal directly with the Department by way of capital application. This has always been a residual sum. There is no annual provision for the grant and it has always been set out in the circular that it depends on the availability of resources. I appreciate that many people believe that is unsatisfactory.

The Deputy asked whether the grant will be paid next year. In view of the flow of new school commitments we will need to meet, it is currently unlikely that we will be in a position to pay a minor works grant during calendar year 2018 and it will probably have to be paid early in 2019. I make that announcement in order to give schools adequate notice of our position. People will appreciate that there has been a strong surge in the number of pupils in the school system and that the priority for the Department must be to ensure that those children have a school to which to go each September. That has been the focus of our provision and we successfully delivered 19,000 permanent places this year.

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