John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Will the Minister review the capitation grant as it pertains to small and medium-sized schools? I recently had an opportunity to look at the figures for two DEIS schools with a little over 200 pupils. The capitation grant is €35,000 or so. Lighting and heating in the two schools cost €17,000 or €18,000, while the cost of insurance came to €10,000 or €11,000. If the size of a school doubles, the capitation grant is not doubled. Such schools are struggling and do not have the opportunity, as occurs in other areas, to seek contributions from parents. I specifically ask that, in particular, the capitation grant for small and medium-sized DEIS schools, with perhaps 200 to 250 pupils, be addressed.

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